It's Time To Take Your Brain Back

I’ve been doing this thing for a while now where I lay off the phone and especially social media and the news during the weekends.

I call this Digital Intermittent Fasting and I’m really just riffing off the concept of intermittent fasting where you only eat during a window, say the 8 hours from 12 PM to 8 PM, and then you don’t eat for the 16 hours from 8 PM to 12 PM.

Intermittent fasting has made a huge difference in my health and my relationship to food. I wrote more about it here.

Digital intermittent fasting has also made a huge difference in my life. I enjoy the weekends more and I’ve taken back control of my attention. 

Sometimes it even feels like I’ve rescued my brain.

I am less distracted. I’m more calm. I lose myself in people and ideas and activities for hours on end and I forget about the world out there. 

We are so addicted to our phones and all of the bad things that come along with addictions are happening to us. We are losing control over aspects of our lives and we are constricting the range of our experiences.

We are distracted and our ability to focus has been compromised. We are surrendering the choice of what we attend to and losing touch with people in our lives who are important to us.

Our attention span is shrinking and we are becoming less patient and more anxious and angry.

This all came on so fast that we got blindsided. 

The iPhone (and Android) launched like a turbo steamroller less than 20 years ago and then social media fast followed and here we are, losing agency and joy as behemoth tech companies steal our brains so they can sell advertising.

So what can you do here if I am talking about you and deep down you know it?

Let’s start with one thing. Let’s start with one long weekend. Let’s start taking our brains back one long weekend at a time.

We start with one weekend and then we see that we can do it and that it was a relief and then we become motivated to do it again next weekend.

So here’s my Digital Intermittent Fasting Protocol below, but briefly before we get started, one quick but important point.

The phone is not just a hyper-addictive distraction delivery system. It is also a valuable work and communication tool. This complicates things because you can’t just go full Kaczynski.

There needs to be some case specific accommodations. You may need to text with your kids so you can pick them up at the ball field or the diner. You might need to make plans with your relatives for the holidays. 

That said, here we go…

Weekend Digital Intermittent Fasting Protocol

Here’s my Digital Intermittent Fasting Protocol. Go get ‘em!!

1. On Thursday early evening, sign out of your social media apps on your phone and turn off all notifications.

2. Then, before you go to bed, put your phone in a drawer that is not in your bedroom and leave it there until the morning. Repeat this Friday through Sunday nights.

3. During the days on Friday through Sunday, use your text messages and email as needed, but try to minimize this to necessities only. This might be the hardest part but you can do it!

4. Any other time that you can put your phone in that drawer and leave it there (or turn it off), do so.

5. Go for walks over the course of the weekend or get outside somehow or go out for a good meal and don’t take your phone with you or at least leave it in the car. 

6. If you are overcome with the NEED to check your phone, do something else like think about a wonderful moment in your life or drink a glass of water or go for a walk or a jog or take ten deep slow breaths. 

Do anything but check your phone.

7. Monday morning, take a few minutes to think about what a relief it was to not be chained to the distraction machine, then sign back onto your social apps and turn your notifications back on.

If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments or by replying to this email.

Here’s the latest Pearl Institute Presents, Episode Three: Resetting Your Priorities

I offer a range of health, performance, and decision making services and will begin taking new clients again in April. If you would like to schedule a no-fee consultation, you can do so here.