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Why Willpower Fails at 7 PM (And What Actually Works)

How Treating Myself Like a Toddler Improved My Digital Wellness

A 3-Part Video Series + Bonus Challenge

What if I told you the solution to spending less time on YouTube wasn’t to block the site entirely?

There’s something about smartphones, iPads, and mobile gaming devices that makes them uniquely addictive. The fact that they’re always in our pocket means constant access.

Have you ever felt like it took all your willpower to get up in the morning? Ever reached for your phone before you’re even fully awake? Checked Instagram before saying good morning to your partner? What if I told you that you could enjoy a phone-free morning without doing something drastic?

Why Your Inbox Zero and Your Friend's 23,000 Unreads Are Both Right

It’s not in your head. Your phone has been designed to make you reach for it. Not just the apps, but the phone itself.

You know something’s wrong when you spend an hour of your well-earned free time “relaxing” with your phone and end up feeling more exhausted than when you started. That post-scroll stupor brings on a hollow sense of purposelessness and clawing anxiety.

Instead of telling you to take a social media break (though I do recommend that), I want to share three simple strategies to make your social media time actually restore your energy.

Even if you don’t use a website blocker (or app blocker), imagining what you’d use it for and when can show you what you’re prioritizing. Reflecting on whether that aligns with your values and what you care about (or not) can be an impactful exercise.

Anytime someone suggested trying grayscale, I’d bristle. Until my kid forced me to face the reality of how addictive screens are. When I turned off the TV at 8 PM, expecting to go about our usual bedtime routine, he started a whine that rose into a wail. I locked eyes with my husband. “That can’t be because we turned off the TV…can it?” He was only three months old. Turns out it was.

It happened faster than we could have predicted. Our sweet three-month-old baby transformed before our eyes—neck craning, body twisting, all to catch a glimpse of the colorful television. When we turned it off, he erupted into wails and thrashing that could only be described as a full-blown tantrum.

As I've scaled back my social media usage, deleting various profiles, I've discovered YouTube is the most challenging platform to leave behind. I've used it for everything from music to home repairs. I'm not ready to give up YouTube entirely, but I'm determined to stop binging endless videos. Here's how I've cut my YouTube watch-time by more than 75%.

Since deleting Facebook and waiting the 30 days grace period for it to be completely extinguished, it’s baffling that it took me so long to do it.

It’s been 6 years since I went on a news fast (AKA an information diet). When I tell people I don’t keep up with the news, they’re often shocked and sometimes disgusted. They assume I don’t know anything that’s going on in the world or that I don’t care, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

There are those who wonder what life would be like without Facebook, and those who already know. After six years of excuses and three failed attempts, when I finally kicked the habit, I felt free (and angry).