There is one thing, one piece of metal and glass that is silently destroying both your mind and body. Most of you already know what it is, and if you’re not sure, let’s get straight to the point – it’s your smartphone, it is screen time. You need a break from it, and you need a break from it now.
By now, many are familiar with the countless negative effects on well-being and quality of life. Among the many, perhaps these 5 stand out the most:
- Blue light disrupts sleep, attention spans, headaches, sensitivity to natural light, and worsens ADHD, among other neurological effects
- The deep psychological toll it can produce from algorithms keeping you fixated in social media apps, bringing the worst out of people by triggering the worst in you.
- Increased Stress and Cortisol: Even just having your phone near you raises your cortisol (stress hormone) levels. The feeling that you must be “always on” or reachable creates a state of low-level chronic stress that can lead to burnout.
- The Dopamine Loop: Apps are designed to trigger small hits of dopamine through likes, scrolls, and notifications. This creates a compulsive “reward-seeking” behavior that mirrors chemical addiction, making it difficult to find pleasure in slower, real-world activities.
- Social Anxiety: The Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) and constant comparison to others’ “highlight reels” can lead to chronic inadequacy, social anxiety, and loneliness.
We all make up stories as to ‘why’ we need to ‘to be there’ , but these are just stories we tell ourselves, its part of the addiction, it’s the excuse to continue with a behaviour that, despite it being clear how destructive it is, we somehow find ways to double down on it. The reality is that life can go on without being available all the time; humans and the world have lived that way forever, and nothing really has changed. The only thing that has changed is our will.
THE 24 HOURS THAT IMPROVE IT ALL
My inspiration to start came from a Jewish tradition, keeping the Sabbath. In Judaism, the Sabbath is a time of forced disconnection from the world. Historically, it has been both the avoidance of the day-to-day hustle and work. For Millenia this ritual has been practiced with one goal in mind – keeping people sane. It is said that it “wasn’t the Jews that kept the Sabbath but the Sabbath that kept the Jews”. And to ensure the day-to-day does not creep into your life, the ‘modern’ traditional Sabbath forbids contact with anything electric, meaning your phone – the biggest assault on our sanity these days.
Here’s a list to start regaining your mind and body. You will be shocked at how well you feel afterwards:
THE MUST DO – 24 HRS OF BLISSFUL HEAVENLY DISCONNECT
Pick one day, just one, where you turn your phone off for a full consecutive 24 hrs. It can be ‘sabbath’ style, say from Friday Night to Saturday Night or it can be say Wednesday, the whole of Wednesday from morning until night. Pick the day, this week, don’t delay, you will thank yourself. Can’t do 24 hrs? start smaller – 12 hrs, 8 hrs, 6 hrs. But Start. See and feel the changes.
Arrange to make the day or moment a screensless time of: exercise, community, seeing friends, prayer, mindfulness, arts, sports, nature, walking around and taking it easy, anything that is NOT A SCREEN. anything that involves your mind and body
Other great tips:
- Most phones have a ‘night light’ option, which reduces blue light. Turn it on
- Pick times or if possible, the whole day, with your phone turned to silent. No vibrations, no sounds.
- Install Apps that measure your time spent or ‘minimize’ the time you use your phone; there are plenty of those.
- Uninstall Social Media, or at least ensure these apps are not being ‘suggested.’
Start today, tomorrow, give it a try. Don’t delay, but ensure this is planned and your entourage, family, and friends are aware, know where you are or can reach you only if needed and only in case of emergency, especially if people depend on you.