Week 20: Less Screen, More Life

Recently, I started reading Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention by Johann Hari. Just a few chapters in, I already felt a shift. The book made me reflect on how fragmented my attention had become—and what I needed to change to regain control.

The first casualty? My Twitter account. I deleted it without a second thought. Next, I installed a Chrome extension to curb my mindless YouTube scrolling. And third, I made a conscious effort to stay offline on my phone as much as possible. Now, I check WhatsApp and Telegram only during lunch or in the evening—never for more than 30 minutes a day.

At night, I put my phone on airplane mode and leave it in my office room before heading to bed. No phone in the bedroom, no doom-scrolling before sleep.

These small changes added up, and the results were honestly surprising. My screen time dropped dramatically—some days it’s just 40 minutes, usually no more than 1 to 1.15 hours.

And here’s what I’ve gained:

• My iPhone battery now lasts more than 3 days.
• I have so much more time with my kids.
• I even picked up my guitar again after a long break.
• I’m finally reading books that had been sitting on my shelf for months.
• Most importantly, I’m sleeping better—deep, uninterrupted sleep.

It’s incredible how much clarity and joy you can reclaim when you simply unplug.