It’s crazy what technology has put on us. I’m overwhelmed too with the amount of messages and emails that reach me daily, and I don’t get THAT many. Still too much. I love going on hikes, and I never listen to anything when I’m out walking. It’s my thoughtless time. And it’s becoming more and more precious.
I applaude your detox. Sometimes wish the world would mandate a tech-free day once a week, like they did at the end of «Ready player one». Tech and car free, that’s the dream.
I completely agree - it's like our phones are constantly weighing us down. I also love going on hikes and walks, particularly this time of year when nature is so beautiful!
That's such a great idea. I try and cut down my tech usage at weekends and probably only pick my phone up a handful of times, but I still think that's too much.
Having a thoughtless time on walks… that sounds wonderful. I have to admit I’m guilty of using my phone even on walks. That idea sounds great though—now I want to try!
Start with small steps and you’ll get there! I can’t remember the exact name but there’s an anxiety technique where you count five things you can see, four things you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell and one you can taste - I do this all the time on my walks as it really helps with feeling present.
Yvonne, I love the idea of a tech-free day each week—what a refreshing break that would be! Hiking sounds like a perfect way to disconnect and recharge, just you and nature. 😌
What works for me is deleting the apps or getting occupied. Also, I use the “one-sec app” and have tried a couple of techniques but I still find myself doom-scrolling. What’s the way out, is it about having some sort of discipline or?
For me it’s discipline and breaking the habit. If I find myself doomscrolling I’ll do something else, and eventually I’ll do that so many times that I stop going to the apps. It’s really just conditioning myself 🤣
I also found greyscaling my phone really helps, particularly with the visual apps like Instagram and TikTok.
I relate to this so much! I recently removed TikTok, Instagram and Facebook from my phone and the amount of times in a day when I would automatically go to open an app that wasn't there anymore was eerie.
Also working in social media is so hard, because I always justify it to myself by, 'I must stay up to date with any changes and whats trending for work'. Slippery slope. Thanks for sharing :)
I don't have X or Facebook on my phone and I've been thinking a lot about deleting TikTok (I have to keep Instagram for clients). I relate to that pressure of feeling the need to keep on top of trends!
I have definitely dedicated the time to spend less time on Instagram, and over the last 2 weeks, it’s been effective. I’ve been here on substack instead lol 😆 but it fills my cup a lot more
I've definitely noticed that I feel refreshed on Substack compared to other apps! And I don't feel like I constantly need to be on it either, compared to the likes of Instagram.
I’ve always had a love hate relationship with social media. It’s strange that I could cut all ties with Facebook & Twitter/X but struggled so much with IG. Then about 2 years ago, I started to take breaks and the positive outcomes were instant! I’ve been off IG for at least 6 months again and I don’t miss it at all. I’m deactivated but not deleted but my plan is to come off it completely.
All that said, along the way, I made the very bad mistake of downloading TikTok. I would totally argue that it is the most addictive and damaging social media app of all. Especially for young minds. (No wonder parents can’t get their children off their screens! I’m an adult and can’t do it!)
I love/hate it in equal measure. Plus there’s very much two sides to TikTok — there’s the videos which most people are familiar with but I’m not sure if you ever explored/followed/became involved with “lives” — people “gift” in order to…get a sense of community I suppose and validation. If it sounds crazy it’s because it is…..I’ve heard stories of people running up massive amounts of debt and suffering with their mental health in order to send money in the form of a gift, to someone they don’t know and have never met.
Since having my very young children + the pandemic + getting a chronic pain & fatigue diagnosis, I honestly question, rather sadly, what would I do if I didn’t have the app. I’m unwell and at home most of the time, reaching for my TikTok floods my brain my dopamine so fast, that it’s an effort to reach for the things I love, such as books or my paints; So ingrained has it become in my everyday life, the idea of going cold turkey thrills me and horrifies me in equal measure. By the very fact it’s got this much of a grip of me, should tell me everything I need to know but my goodness, does it feel hard!!
Thank you for providing a space to talk about topics such as this.
Thank you for this comment Louise and for sharing your experience.
I had a similar issue with TikTok, where I was losing hoursssss of my day to just scrolling - I would come out of a doomscrolling and couldn’t remember a single video I’d watched. If and when you’re ready to delete it I will totally cheerlead you from the sidelines!
It’s taken me some time but I’m now social media free (except Substack) on my phone and I’ve noticed huge positive effects. My attention span is better, I’m reading more and I’m enjoying/noticing more things.
I used to start my day by checking notifications and inevitably ended up scrolling aimlessly on Twitter or TikTok. Till I decided my days starts with a read. One chapter, minimum. Or one newsletter. Love it!
Ooh I love that, thanks so much for sharing! I used to be the same, I'd scroll in bed until it was a rush to get out the door for work. Now I try and spend my mornings tech-free and just focused on getting ready for the day ahead :)
Soph, I'm glad you're making some really thoughtful changes to how you interact with our modern technology. The steps you've outlined for your digital detox, like setting admin hours and cutting tech before bed, are great strategies to manage screen time and reclaim your peace.
Also Pro Tip: If you're an apple user, you can set the screen to "Grayscale" so it turns off the colours and only display your stuff in black and white, making your phone less addictive. Have you tried that before? :)
I have actually used greyscale before and found it really effective. The trouble is I have to do a lot of work on my phone for a visual company so I found myself switching it on and off all the time! It definitely works though.
Nice article. I had to remove TikTok from my phone because I’d need to kill like 5 minutes but ended spending almost an hour just mindlessly scrolling.
Something that’s been helpful for me: try to think of technology as a route instead of a destination. Can I use my phone as a way of accomplishing something (mapping to somewhere, an answer on the internet, maybe my grocery list) instead of using it as The Thing I’m Doing Right Now.
Thanks Daniel! I’m on the verge of deleting TikTok for this very reason - I’m slowly trying to train myself (if that’s the right phrase!) to do a quick household task instead of mindlessly scrolling. Once I’ve done that task I’ve usually completely forgotten about the “5 mins” of scrolling I was going to do.
I really love this mindset too. Tech is so powerful but we can also live without it when we’re not particularly doing anything!
One of my biggest dreams in this life is to live a couple of years with as little technology as possible where I would spend some time of course writing and working on my business and just be present in the digital world, but also spend the other 80% of the time reading and enjoying nature, travelling and trying to see what this world has to offer.
Some things are worth being lived and experienced, and not only seen and liked in reels.
Thank you so much for this comment Aymane, it’s like you’ve taken the words from my brain! This is exactly how I feel very often - life isn’t meant to be lived via a screen and none of my most precious memories include tech… there’s some correlation there!
I'm so bad at responding to texts. There's one right now from literally a friend who was in my wedding that I haven't responded to yet and she texted me like 5 days ago. Ugh. It's so much easier to use my phone for small and easy content/communication, but the 'big' stuff, like checking in with a friend after a couple months, is so hard.
I get it. I *really* get it. My best friend lives a good few hours from me so we mostly communicate via text and it gets so overwhelming.
Like you I prefer using my phone for the easy content and comms which is why I do literally set myself 'admin time' each day. If I'm too exhausted to answer people that's fine, at least I know what messages I have and I can deal with them later.
If only everyone lived within a 5-minute radius and we could just meet them for a catch up, ey?
Thanks for this piece Sophie! I really do feel this overwhelm too, and I've no idea why I struggle to message people back 😬 This was a perfectly timed post for me to check in with my consumption habits and maybe try and cut back.
I recently saved this youtube video to my 'watch later' list about 'reducing my screen-time to 30 minutes a day' and I kinda wanna give this a go. Linking it here in case you're interested too:
I think when we’re so overwhelmed by digital ‘clutter’ we don’t even have the brain space to contact people!
Ooh, thanks so much for sharing this! I managed about 40 minutes per day during some annual leave a year or so ago and it really made a difference to my mood, energy and sleep quality. Working in digital PR makes it a little tough to do that regularly though!
Love the office hours. I also have notification anxiety and am not popular but I get overwhelmed very easily by having any red number on screen. Thanks for the tip :)
It’s crazy what technology has put on us. I’m overwhelmed too with the amount of messages and emails that reach me daily, and I don’t get THAT many. Still too much. I love going on hikes, and I never listen to anything when I’m out walking. It’s my thoughtless time. And it’s becoming more and more precious.
I applaude your detox. Sometimes wish the world would mandate a tech-free day once a week, like they did at the end of «Ready player one». Tech and car free, that’s the dream.
I completely agree - it's like our phones are constantly weighing us down. I also love going on hikes and walks, particularly this time of year when nature is so beautiful!
That's such a great idea. I try and cut down my tech usage at weekends and probably only pick my phone up a handful of times, but I still think that's too much.
Thank you so much for your comment Yvonne!
Having a thoughtless time on walks… that sounds wonderful. I have to admit I’m guilty of using my phone even on walks. That idea sounds great though—now I want to try!
Start with small steps and you’ll get there! I can’t remember the exact name but there’s an anxiety technique where you count five things you can see, four things you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell and one you can taste - I do this all the time on my walks as it really helps with feeling present.
Yvonne, I love the idea of a tech-free day each week—what a refreshing break that would be! Hiking sounds like a perfect way to disconnect and recharge, just you and nature. 😌
Hiking is amazing, and best when I can manage to shut up my mind. Not always happening, but listening to my ramblings can be fun too.
What works for me is deleting the apps or getting occupied. Also, I use the “one-sec app” and have tried a couple of techniques but I still find myself doom-scrolling. What’s the way out, is it about having some sort of discipline or?
Deleting apps is definitely a good way to go!
For me it’s discipline and breaking the habit. If I find myself doomscrolling I’ll do something else, and eventually I’ll do that so many times that I stop going to the apps. It’s really just conditioning myself 🤣
I also found greyscaling my phone really helps, particularly with the visual apps like Instagram and TikTok.
I should try that! Thanks very much.
I relate to this so much! I recently removed TikTok, Instagram and Facebook from my phone and the amount of times in a day when I would automatically go to open an app that wasn't there anymore was eerie.
Also working in social media is so hard, because I always justify it to myself by, 'I must stay up to date with any changes and whats trending for work'. Slippery slope. Thanks for sharing :)
The muscle memory is so scary, isn't it?!
I don't have X or Facebook on my phone and I've been thinking a lot about deleting TikTok (I have to keep Instagram for clients). I relate to that pressure of feeling the need to keep on top of trends!
I have definitely dedicated the time to spend less time on Instagram, and over the last 2 weeks, it’s been effective. I’ve been here on substack instead lol 😆 but it fills my cup a lot more
I've definitely noticed that I feel refreshed on Substack compared to other apps! And I don't feel like I constantly need to be on it either, compared to the likes of Instagram.
Kathleen, I feel the same way as you do! Substack > Instagram
I’ve always had a love hate relationship with social media. It’s strange that I could cut all ties with Facebook & Twitter/X but struggled so much with IG. Then about 2 years ago, I started to take breaks and the positive outcomes were instant! I’ve been off IG for at least 6 months again and I don’t miss it at all. I’m deactivated but not deleted but my plan is to come off it completely.
All that said, along the way, I made the very bad mistake of downloading TikTok. I would totally argue that it is the most addictive and damaging social media app of all. Especially for young minds. (No wonder parents can’t get their children off their screens! I’m an adult and can’t do it!)
I love/hate it in equal measure. Plus there’s very much two sides to TikTok — there’s the videos which most people are familiar with but I’m not sure if you ever explored/followed/became involved with “lives” — people “gift” in order to…get a sense of community I suppose and validation. If it sounds crazy it’s because it is…..I’ve heard stories of people running up massive amounts of debt and suffering with their mental health in order to send money in the form of a gift, to someone they don’t know and have never met.
Since having my very young children + the pandemic + getting a chronic pain & fatigue diagnosis, I honestly question, rather sadly, what would I do if I didn’t have the app. I’m unwell and at home most of the time, reaching for my TikTok floods my brain my dopamine so fast, that it’s an effort to reach for the things I love, such as books or my paints; So ingrained has it become in my everyday life, the idea of going cold turkey thrills me and horrifies me in equal measure. By the very fact it’s got this much of a grip of me, should tell me everything I need to know but my goodness, does it feel hard!!
Thank you for providing a space to talk about topics such as this.
Thank you for this comment Louise and for sharing your experience.
I had a similar issue with TikTok, where I was losing hoursssss of my day to just scrolling - I would come out of a doomscrolling and couldn’t remember a single video I’d watched. If and when you’re ready to delete it I will totally cheerlead you from the sidelines!
It’s taken me some time but I’m now social media free (except Substack) on my phone and I’ve noticed huge positive effects. My attention span is better, I’m reading more and I’m enjoying/noticing more things.
Thank you for joining this space! 🫶
Aww thank you Soph! Will definitely let you know when I make the cut. I can feel it’s imminent. I don’t want a summer lost to a screen either.
Love this space you’ve created and will enjoy going through more of your work tomorrow. Substack is, by far, my favourite app! 🩷
You can do it!! 🫶🫶
Oh thank you so much! Very happy to have you here. It’s my favourite app too!
I used to start my day by checking notifications and inevitably ended up scrolling aimlessly on Twitter or TikTok. Till I decided my days starts with a read. One chapter, minimum. Or one newsletter. Love it!
Ooh I love that, thanks so much for sharing! I used to be the same, I'd scroll in bed until it was a rush to get out the door for work. Now I try and spend my mornings tech-free and just focused on getting ready for the day ahead :)
Soph, I'm glad you're making some really thoughtful changes to how you interact with our modern technology. The steps you've outlined for your digital detox, like setting admin hours and cutting tech before bed, are great strategies to manage screen time and reclaim your peace.
Also Pro Tip: If you're an apple user, you can set the screen to "Grayscale" so it turns off the colours and only display your stuff in black and white, making your phone less addictive. Have you tried that before? :)
Thanks so much Sol!
I have actually used greyscale before and found it really effective. The trouble is I have to do a lot of work on my phone for a visual company so I found myself switching it on and off all the time! It definitely works though.
Nice article. I had to remove TikTok from my phone because I’d need to kill like 5 minutes but ended spending almost an hour just mindlessly scrolling.
Something that’s been helpful for me: try to think of technology as a route instead of a destination. Can I use my phone as a way of accomplishing something (mapping to somewhere, an answer on the internet, maybe my grocery list) instead of using it as The Thing I’m Doing Right Now.
Good luck either way!
Thanks Daniel! I’m on the verge of deleting TikTok for this very reason - I’m slowly trying to train myself (if that’s the right phrase!) to do a quick household task instead of mindlessly scrolling. Once I’ve done that task I’ve usually completely forgotten about the “5 mins” of scrolling I was going to do.
I really love this mindset too. Tech is so powerful but we can also live without it when we’re not particularly doing anything!
One of my biggest dreams in this life is to live a couple of years with as little technology as possible where I would spend some time of course writing and working on my business and just be present in the digital world, but also spend the other 80% of the time reading and enjoying nature, travelling and trying to see what this world has to offer.
Some things are worth being lived and experienced, and not only seen and liked in reels.
Thank you so much for this comment Aymane, it’s like you’ve taken the words from my brain! This is exactly how I feel very often - life isn’t meant to be lived via a screen and none of my most precious memories include tech… there’s some correlation there!
I admire your dedication—I too hope to achieve such an extent of self control to cleanse my life of excessive technology.
Thanks for sharing, Sarah; your words are inspiring!
Thanks Bethel, I don’t always get it right but I definitely feel better with a good tech-life balance!
I'm so bad at responding to texts. There's one right now from literally a friend who was in my wedding that I haven't responded to yet and she texted me like 5 days ago. Ugh. It's so much easier to use my phone for small and easy content/communication, but the 'big' stuff, like checking in with a friend after a couple months, is so hard.
I get it. I *really* get it. My best friend lives a good few hours from me so we mostly communicate via text and it gets so overwhelming.
Like you I prefer using my phone for the easy content and comms which is why I do literally set myself 'admin time' each day. If I'm too exhausted to answer people that's fine, at least I know what messages I have and I can deal with them later.
If only everyone lived within a 5-minute radius and we could just meet them for a catch up, ey?
Thanks for this piece Sophie! I really do feel this overwhelm too, and I've no idea why I struggle to message people back 😬 This was a perfectly timed post for me to check in with my consumption habits and maybe try and cut back.
I recently saved this youtube video to my 'watch later' list about 'reducing my screen-time to 30 minutes a day' and I kinda wanna give this a go. Linking it here in case you're interested too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifuPEB15DQs&list=WL&index=7&pp=gAQBiAQB
I think when we’re so overwhelmed by digital ‘clutter’ we don’t even have the brain space to contact people!
Ooh, thanks so much for sharing this! I managed about 40 minutes per day during some annual leave a year or so ago and it really made a difference to my mood, energy and sleep quality. Working in digital PR makes it a little tough to do that regularly though!
A digital detox is definitely something that we can all benefit from. Thanks for sharing this important reminder!
Thanks Connor! I feel so much better after it. Enjoy your tech-free time!
Love the office hours. I also have notification anxiety and am not popular but I get overwhelmed very easily by having any red number on screen. Thanks for the tip :)