Digital Detox Accountability Report for March

Time for the Digital Detox Accountability Report for March! This month definitely didn’t feel as strong as the previous two…but I think I’m cementing good habits, as opposed to creating a bunch of new ones.

As a reminder, the main tenets of my yearly theme are:

• Using devices less

• Leave phone in car more

• Rely on GPS less

• Read older books. More philosophy and biographical

• Read books about doing things in the real world. How coffee is made, cigars, other crafts

• Turn off symptoms radar/don’t let Oura Ring dictate how I feel

Let’s see how it’s going!

What’s Going Well?

I think, while on-balance I’ve used my phone more (travel had a lot to do with that), I’ve found myself not pulling it out as much, or losing track of it and not caring. And speaking of travel, I barely used it on my flights, opting to sit with my thoughts instead.

I’m continuing to use GPS less; I even used it less to get around my parents’ town, where they moved about 18 months ago. I think that’s a big win.

I finally finished reading The Iliad, and started reading Walden by Henry David Thoreau. I also read Discipline is Destiny by Ryan Holiday. That helped reinforce what I’d say is the biggest thing I did well this month.

I gave up Amazon for Lent (as well as all instant gratification apps). As we approach the final days of Lent, I’ve had very little urge to use it; I will not add it back onto my phone, and I suspect I’ll be buying locally a lot more.

Where Can I Improve?

My biggest struggle continues to be using my phone around going to bed and waking up. It’s the last thing I see before bed and the first thing I reach for when I wake up.

I’ve told myself stories (what if someone calls and needs me?) and some stories with legitimate backing (having the headphones help me sleep better)¹, but the truth is I shouldn’t need the phone in my bedroom.

I certainly would love to not check it when I first wake up. But it’s something I need to make an actual effort towards, as just telling myself not to do it hasn’t worked.

What Do I Resolve to Do in the Next Month to Further My Goals?

To that end, there are two continuing resolutions for my Year of Digital Detox:

1. Continue my Lenten promise of not using my Amazon. I want to come up with a way to use it when it’s actually helpful; I need some strict rules though, so no buying until I have those.

2. Build a system to stop using my phone before going to sleep and right after waking up.

More on that below.

What’s One Big Problem I Should Try to Solve Related to Digital Detox?

I’ve tried no phones at bedtime before, to varying degrees of failure. Leaving it outside the room, Bricking it before bed, trying to get my wife on board.

Nothing has stuck, in part because TV/Music helps me fall asleep. But the dog recently ate one of my sleep headphones, and I’m feeling extra motivated.

I want to solve this problem once and for all, and I’m confident it can be done².

Alright — that’s it! What do you think? Comment and let me know.

1. I feel like I can hear everything at night, and the headphones help drowned that out…but they can actually work independently of the phone.

2. For example, I just discovered that Brick added timed schedules. A problem I had with schedules was if I forgot to turn them off before I traveled, I was kind of SOL.