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The more we check in with our phones, the less we check in with ourselves.
Real connection starts when we’re willing to disconnect.
Embrace time away from your mobile phone.
I don’t think I can represent this idea any clearer than with a graph:
You are experiencing immeasurably more distractions because of how much time you spend in front of a screen.
I recognise that as I write this and as I invade your inbox, I am both a hypocrite and part of the problem. Sorry about that.
But today, as you read this newsletter and reflect on your mobile usage, consider whether you are overwhelmed and whether the 3 tips shared in the Explanation could benefit you.
Today’s saying comes courtesy of American novelist Anne Lamott:
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes - including you.
Your brain isn’t designed to process endless noise.
Silence and stillness aren’t a waste of time - they’re how you reclaim your time.
So stop looking at your blank diary space as something you need to fill. Instead, embrace it.
Phones are powerful tools, but for many of us, they’ve stopped feeling like tools, and started feeling like chains.
You unlock it without thinking.
You scroll before you speak.
You check before you breathe.
And somewhere along the way, you stop noticing your own mind - because it’s too busy reacting to everyone else’s.
This isn’t about guilt. It’s about awareness.
Because with a little distance, something shifts.
You remember how to focus.
You rediscover what calms you.
You reconnect with your real priorities - the ones you can’t tap or swipe.
Here are 3 ways to start reclaiming your time (and yourself):
Create screen-free zones.
Pick one room or routine where your phone doesn’t go - the dinner table, your morning routine, or your walk.
Make space for attention again.
Practice intentional boredom.
Resist the urge to fill every gap with content.
Let yourself be still.
Boredom creates space for imagination, clarity, and unexpected insight.
Disconnect to reconnect.
Step away from the noise so you can hear yourself think - and feel.
Your presence is a gift to others, but first, it has to be given to yourself.
Now is your time to get away from the screen and spend some time putting pen-to-paper.
Here are today’s 3 journal prompts:
When was the last time I was truly alone with my thoughts - no screen, no sound, just me?
How does my phone use impact my focus, rest, and relationships?
What’s one simple change I could make this week to reclaim some quiet?
Today’s newsletter was inspired by Shortform‘s of Richard Simon’s Unplug.
In Unplug (2025), Simon explains that this problem plagues countless people and reveals how to get past it.
He argues that breaking up with your phone requires radical action - complete detachment from your smartphone.
Detachment feels uncomfortable at first but pays dividends by helping you build a more peaceful, fulfilling life.
You can enjoy the bite-sized summary of Richard Simon’s Unplug with your free trial today, and there are thousands of other easy-to-digest book summaries with audio narration, interactive activities and much more, all available with an exclusive 20% discount here:
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Catch you in the next issue!
Thanks,
Michael