If you’ve ever wanted to stop wasting time on your phone, you know how difficult it is to break old scrolling habits.
Even if you can remove the apps that take the most time, chances are you’ll end up reinstalling them at some point. It can feel like you’re stuck in a constant loop of forwards and backwards.
But if you’re looking for a new relationship with your phone and are truly committed to it, there’s no need to feel trapped in this hopeless cycle. And I have the people to prove it.
At the beginning of 2024, I edited Reclaim Your Brain, a Guardian newsletter aimed at helping people who are unhappy with their screen time usage. This course offers a 5-week course that readers can sign up for at any time, with tested tasks from our expert Katherine Price, author of the award-winning How to Break Up With Your Phone is included.
Since then, the newsletter has become the Guardian’s fastest growing newsletter, reducing subscribers’ screen time by an average of 40%.
When we surveyed our subscribers in March, many were delighted with the impact our newsletter had on their lives. Melissa Griffin, 53, wrote, “I’ve been able to be more present with the people in my life.” Melissa Griffin managed to reduce her screen time from eight hours a day to two. “I’m making choices instead of blaming my habits on my phone. I’m now able to study – that was my goal…I’m back!”
One year has passed since the newsletter was launched. We desperately reached out to our subscribers to see how they were doing and if they were able to maintain their progress.
This is what we found.
For some people, newsletters have changed the way they approach their phones and have made a huge difference in their lives.
Victoria, a subscriber based in Scotland, said: “I think this course fundamentally changed my attitude towards mobile phones.” “So it’s easier to put it aside and not feel ‘forced’ to open it.”
For Felipe, a reader based in Northern Ireland, the course gave him the space to think about his life and make even bigger changes. “I realized an aspect of my life that had been needed for a long time but hadn’t given it enough attention, and I started taking the time to work on it,” he said.
“For example, I was finally able to work up the courage to quit my old job. I also became more mindful and appreciative of the people in my life. I used my phone less. That wasn’t the only factor that made this possible, but it was an important one.”
He added: “My cell phone usage fluctuated throughout the year, but eventually settled down to a healthier level. And I simply don’t miss them at all. It’s even weirder that I ever spent time doomscrolling!”
Meanwhile, others reported that although their screen time increased gradually, they were able to manage their screen time much better than before taking the course and experienced some significant benefits.
“My phone usage did increase as the months went on, but it didn’t increase to the level it was before the course,” said Kieran Healy, a Vancouver-based construction manager in his 40s. “A big plus for me is that I rediscovered reading and read 35 books this year. I don’t think I could have done this without considering my phone usage.”
“Regain the Brain” wallpaper still offers helpful “speed bumps”
As part of the newsletter, subscribers will receive a custom wallpaper to download for their lock screen, showing how their average daily screen time increases over the course of a year.
“The most helpful part of this course is the Brain Reclaim Meter!” says Charlotte Conlin, a subscriber based in Oregon. “This is still my screensaver, a constant reminder of how much of my life I could be spending on my phone, depending on how many hours a day I use it. I will give it to you.”
Laura Silovsky, an English teacher based in Tanzania, also found the wallpaper helpful. “I had the ‘Reclaim Your Brain’ background saved on my phone for months. It showed me how much time we were losing on our phones. It led to some really interesting conversations with friends,” she said.
After newsletter promotion
We asked our subscribers what was the easiest and hardest part of getting their brain back. For some people, it’s not that difficult to delete the apps that they were spending the most time on. “Quiting social media was surprisingly easy and even liberating,” Felipe said.
This was the same for Laura, but there were some common caveats. “Deleting Instagram was easy; quitting it was another thing,” she said. “While deleting social media was significantly beneficial to my health and productivity, living abroad also meant losing connection with virtually a small number of people back home. It was a tough choice between staying well and feeling grounded where I am, but I’m glad I chose the latter.”
Some people have trouble resisting the phone during quiet moments in their lives. “The most difficult thing was not using my phone to bridge slightly uncomfortable and prolonged situations, such as time spent on public transport,” Annemarie said. , German doctoral student.
This was shared by Ines, a 32-year-old archivist based in Portugal. “The hardest part is avoiding the phone when you’re waiting, commuting, or just bored,” she said. “It’s hard to avoid mindlessly scrolling through apps like X, Reddit, Instagram, and short videos on YouTube.”
Thinking about signing up in 2025? Here’s advice from subscribers who have completed our courses
“I highly recommend signing up. I might even refresh myself in the new year to keep this momentum going.” – victoria, scotland
“Don’t think in terms of all or nothing. If you reduce your phone usage even a little bit, your life will go back to normal.” – Kieran Healy, Vancouver
“Have a phone booth. It might be a shoe box or an envelope, but something that tells your brain, your loved ones, your friends that your cell phone is not a distraction for you. Inside the house. Designate phone-free zones and times of the day when you don’t use your phone and hold your family accountable to you. Set the Reclaim Your Brain meter on your phone’s home screen.” – Andy, Philadelphia
“Think about what you’re really trying to achieve. Living abroad, I didn’t want to give up my phone completely because I want to stay in touch with my family and close friends. But this newsletter… It helped me reevaluate and rebalance my relationship with my phone and, as a result, with those people.” – Laura Silovsky, Tanzania
“My advice is to try it for just one day and then keep going even if you feel a little uncomfortable. But don’t beat yourself up if you fail. Try again the next day. It doesn’t grow in a day,’ etc. – Charlotte Conlin, Oregon
“We feel it is important to acknowledge that screen addiction is an underdiagnosed and underappreciated epidemic that needs to be addressed individually and collectively. , it was a great first step for me.” – Inés, Portugal
“Try your best to follow the advice, it’s really worth it. At the same time, don’t be too hard on yourself. The forces you’ll be up against are really formidable and you’ll fail sometimes. “Reclaim Your Brain” After stacking online mindfulness courses, I found that they complemented each other very well. ” – Felipe, Northern Ireland
“It’s helpful to let people know about changes in communication that are intended to manage expectations. Tell friends and clients of new deadlines for replying to messages, and provide clear information that people know and understand why they don’t respond right away.” ” – Shelley, UK
Source: www.theguardian.com
