Tuesday Tips is a weekly newsletter with actionable tips related to reducing screen time, increasing productivity, maintaining health & wellness, and understanding the psychology behind behavior change. To view all the tips go to getpresentapp.com/blog.
If you like these tips or have some of your own, feel free to reach out to us at contact@getpresentapp.com
Tuesday Tips #7: Just try a phone detox for a single day
“Just Do It” You know who came up with that? Phil Knight, the legendary Founder and CEO of Nike. Ever heard of them?! If the founder of Nike came up with it, it must be good advice.
Okay, maybe it was some marketing agency that worked for Nike, but that’s beside the point. If that's not enough for you, it was also Ben Stiller's catchphrase in one of the best scenes of the 2004 epic Starsky and Hutch.
It’s relevant today because as I was thinking of what to write for Tuesday Tips, I began reflecting on my journey and what really helped me become less addicted to my phone.
And I realized, I became extremely motivated to break my habit after I had just one weekend without my phone.
Even though it was only a couple of days, I was able to immediately experience the benefits that came with not having constant hits of dopamine injected into my brain stem. I was noticeably less distracted, more motivated, and overall felt like I had more control over my time and energy.
Because the thing about our phone addiction is that it isn’t as strong as other addictions. Our dependency on dopamine largely resets overnight. That means that even short detoxes of 1-2 days can give you immediate, noticeable benefits.
After experiencing this change, it became clear how much my phone was holding me back. I became determined to break my unhealthy dependence on my phone. To break free of its grip that was holding me back. To live my life and spend my time how I wanted to.
And sometimes, when trying to implement drastic, lasting change in your life, motivation is half the battle. And understanding the tangible benefit can provide that motivation.
So that’s why Tuesday Tips #7 is: just do it. Just try to go even one day without your phone. You can manage that, right? I bet that after one short day without being attached to your phone you’ll see such a benefit that it will motivate you to continuously improve your relationship with your phone going forward.