Recharge and Reset Daily

Welcome friends to the Wonderful World of Wellness! I’m so glad you are here! Today I share practical steps to overcoming a smartphone addiction.

Daily challenge for all phone addicts!

Do you want to decrease stress? It really, really helps to have a cutoff time where you turn the phone completely off. This serves to aid relaxation and deeper rest. I highly recommend implementing a cutoff time as a regular, everyday practice. If you really want to recharge, try a digital detox—it’s tough but so worth it!

Why does digital detoxing work?

I want to geek out and fill you guys in on why detoxing is a powerful tool for recovery from addictive behaviors. I have an excellent resource for you about why this works! Depending on the severity of your phone obsession you may choose to detox for a weekend, a full week, or even up to 30-days. Watch this episode of the Huberman Labs podcast to learn more about addictive behaviors and resetting reward pathways in the brain:

In an effort to live with intention and take ownership of my time, I have decided to give up my phone for 30 days! I’m now on the last day of my 30-day challenge. In case you are curious about how it’s going so far, I will bring you in on my experience:

CHALLENGE RULES

I am making a strong effort to limit my phone usage to just about an hour each day. Not counting time spent:

a. for navigation (GPS)

b. to stream music

c. to listen to podcasts and audiobooks

I do notice that the days where I “fall off the wagon” I have decreased mood, less ability to focus, and worse sleep. Even though I wasn’t able to complete the challenge perfectly, I don’t see it as a failure at all—instead I look at how much I’ve gained from my efforts. It is hard but well worth it in my book!

Overall the experience is going really well! I feel more like myself than I have in a very long time. There’s a noticeable sense of calm and peace settling in… it's as if the constant noise and distractions have quieted down significantly. This newfound calm is benefiting both my mind and spirit, allowing me to think more clearly and feel more centered throughout the day. I want to implement a digital detox every year from now on. The benefits for my mental well-being are huge!

I’m grateful for the chance to share my self-care practices with you. That’s all for now!