Picture this: you're scrolling through your phone for the hundredth time today, mindlessly thumbing through social media feeds, barely even registering what you're looking at.
You probably don’t need to imagine it. Because you do it. Every single day.
At least I do.
As someone who runs their own content agency, being glued to my phone and laptop comes with the territory. But at some point, I realized that my digital addiction was getting out of hand. It was affecting my work, my relationships, and my overall well-being. I knew I needed to make a change.
So, I embarked on a journey to break free from the clutches of my smartphone and reclaim my time and attention.
In 45 days, I've slashed my smartphone screen time by a whopping 50%, saving myself around 2.5 hours every single day.
That's 75 hours a month that I can now invest in myself, my relationships, and all the activities that truly bring me joy.
My girlfriend did the same, dropping her screen time by 24%, freeing up over 50 hours per month to focus on more productive and fulfilling pursuits.
Fucking wild.
Like breaking any habit, it wasn't easy, and I still don’t consider it ‘broken.’ But it’s been fun to get creative with different tactics and strategies to see what worked and what didn't.
Now, I’m on a mission to help at least 1 million people build healthier, more intentional relationships with technology.
So if you’re reading this—welcome. Here are the five digital detox tools that have fundamentally changed my life.
Delete The Distractions
First step: delete every distracting app from your phone. We're talking social media, games, and anything else that constantly pulls your focus away from what matters. Just get rid of them. It might be tough at first, but it's a crucial move if you want to take back control of your time and attention.
No Notifications
Notifications are toxic. They're constantly distracting you and pumping your brain full of dopamine. The goal is to get rid of almost every notification possible. I kept my Slack notifications because I still need to keep the lights on. But everything else had to go.
Do Not Disturb
I practically live in Do Not Disturb mode. Sure, it's annoying that all my calls go straight to voicemail, but I mainly use it to block out text notifications. Trust me, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. If you're expecting an important call, just turn it off for that day or time period.
Also, you can pick ‘favorites’ whose calls and messages automatically bypass DnD settings, so no excuses here.
Turn on Grayscale
It's no surprise that most things aren't nearly as fun without color. Switching your phone to black and white (grayscale) is a great way to dull the stimulation and make your phone less appealing.
Pro tip: I set up a shortcut on my iPhone that turns the screen to grayscale when I click the power button three times. It's a super simple way to switch between color and black-and-white modes, making it easy to cut down on the visual stimulation whenever I need to focus or give my eyes a break.
Brick
Brick has been the most important and impactful tool during my digital disconnection phase. Unlike traditional distraction-blocking software that lets you easily bypass apps, the Brick is a physical device that pairs with a mobile app.
The magic is in the fact that it's a physical device. You tap your phone on the Brick to lock your apps and do the same to unlock them. So, if I want to access any apps when I'm not near my Brick, I'm shit out of luck.
Pro-tip: Use 'RG10' to get $10 off your Brick purchase.
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Opal
Unfortunately, the Brick doesn't do jack for my crippling laptop habit, which why I use Opal.
Opal is a simple distraction blocker software that works on both mobile and web.
Here's how it works:
- Make a list of the apps you want to block
- Set time limits for when you want those apps blocked
- If you try to access a blocked app on mobile, you'll get hit with a five-second delay before you can unblock it. On the web, it's even easier to get into your blocked apps – just click the 'take a break' button.
Even with this smaller dose of friction, Opal has been a lifesaver during my deep work sessions. It forces me to think twice before trying to access time-sucking apps like Twitter.
Blank Spaces
If you haven't heard of dumbphones, they're exactly what they sound like – no social media, no blue light, and no distractions. Most of them have e-ink screens and only offer basic functions like phone calls, texting, music, maps, and a few other bare-bones apps.
Dumbphones like the Lightphone and Wisephone (get $75 off with this link) are gaining popularity, and even Gen Z is starting to switch back to the flip phone era. What's old is new again.
I couldn't commit to a full dumbphone, but I did want to eliminate as much friction as possible from my home screen. That's where Blank Spaces comes in.
Blank Spaces is a dumbphone launcher for iOS. It uses Widgets and Shortcuts to make your home screen look like this:
Bottom Line
Like anything, moderation is important.
It's all about being more intentional about your relationship with technology. Finding the right balance so that your technology serves you, not the other way around.
If you're feeling inspired to start your own digital disconnection adventure, I highly encourage you to give it a shot. It's not always easy, but trust me, it's so worth it.
If you have any questions or want to learn more about the tools and strategies I mentioned, head over to digitaldetoxtools.com. I've put together a ton of resources there to help you get started and stay on track.
And if you're looking for some extra support and accountability, I offer 1:1 coaching sessions where we can dig deep into your specific challenges and come up with a personalized plan to help you break free from your digital addiction.
Just shoot me a message, and we'll find a time to chat. Thanks for reading.
