Reducing Screen Time, Spring Cleaning and Lifestyle Changes: What I’m Reading This week

This week, I was reminded that busyness is often a myth.

My neighbor needed a favor. Did I have the time? Not really, I thought, but I decided to be neighborly and do it anyway. I’m so glad I did. It wasn’t much time or work on my part, and it made her life easier.

That’s literally what we’re here for. All we have is each other, and if it’s in our capacity to help, we should.

Our basic needs are so often met that it’s easy to take them for granted. In reality, they’re a gift, never a guarantee. So why not make the most of our time and do something that makes others, and ourselves, feel good?

It’s been such a blessing to have so many people remind me of what is important. I hope I can pass that along so that you, too, can appreciate what you have and find peace (or let go) of what isn’t. Until next time, stay safe, be well and be kind.

Reducing Screen Time

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the increased pursuit (or at least interest) in analog hobbies. There are many reasons why birdwatching or gardening appeal to people, one of which is a way to reduced one’s screen time.

Since then, a jury found Meta and YouTube harmed a young user’s mental health with their addictive design features.

I saved an article from Life Kit for advice from behavioral science, psychology and technology experts on how to resist looking at your phone. By the time I finally got back around to reading it, there was already a follow-up filled with reader suggestions. Clearly, there’s a lot of interest in putting our phones down.

A piece of advice that stuck out with me comes from BJ Fogg, a behavioral scientist at Stanford University who studies habit formation. Fogg reminded me that habits can be both made or broken. "A behavior happens when three things come together at the same moment: motivation to do the behavior, ability to do the behavior and a prompt or cue to do the behavior.”

Readers offered some helpful suggestions for how to break our digital habits, such as deleting social media apps. Once the withdrawals subsided, I noticed an immediate improvement in my mental health. I’m looking forward to trying some of their other ideas.

One thing I think is important to remember is that our phones and the apps we use on them are designed to capture our attention. The desire or compulsion to pick up our phones is not a personal failure of failure of willpower. We’re doing exactly what the technology companies have intended.

As a result, breaking ourselves of the habit requires effort and a bit of reconditioning. It’s unrealistic to banish our phones since we use them for so many daily tasks, such as listening to music, reading the news, taking photos, navigating our surroundings and checking the weather. But perhaps we can be more intentional or transactional about when, how and why we reach for our phones.

Read the expert advice here and reader advice here.

Spring Cleaning

Spring came early for me this year. Spring cleaning, that is.

I have noticed progress but also felt like I’m in a quagmire at times. Fortunately, a few articles from The New York Times found me at just the right time.

One article from Dorie Chevlen dispels decluttering myths that can hinder or halt our progress. I appreciated that the article incorporated some psychology about how we view our things—and ourselves. For example, two experts contradicted the notion that you’re a better person when you’re neater. I tend to have more mental energy when my surrounding is clear, but having clutter—like I do on my desk right now—doesn’t mean I’m a failure.

Kristyn Ivey, a clutter coach, says “talking down to yourself when you’re trying to make good decisions, it actually amplifies all those feelings—the fear, the shame, the guilt, all of that.” Ivey suggests using gentler terms to remind ourselves we’re trying our best and to recognize our effort and progress instead of perceived failings.

Likewise, Alix Strauss provides guidance from Christina Fallon, owner of Dream It Done Organizing, who says that sometimes we get mentally, emotionally or physically overwhelmed when we encounter a challenging chapter of life. It’s perfectly acceptable, and frankly human, to get stuck or need help.

Strauss also reminds us that our things can carry a lot of meaning, and it can be difficult for people to let go of physical items. That’s OK. The goal is to get started and go at a pace that works for you.

Managing our things is not a one-time ordeal but an ongoing effort. Sometimes it will be easier than others. Sometimes we can purge, and other times we hang on. The most important thing is to find a system that works for you in this particular phase of life and grant yourself the freedom from things that might be holding you back.

Read Chevlen’s article here and Ivey’s article here.

Lifestyle Changes

We’ve long wanted straightforward advice, simple swaps and—perhaps most importantly—low effort ways to boost our health.

Australian researchers have determined that getting five minutes more of sleep, two minutes more of exercise and a half more serving of vegetables a day could add at least a year to your life.

"We're not talking about big, ambitious goals," said Emmanuel Stamatakis, a professor of physical activity and health at the University of Sydney and senior author of the study, to The Washington Post. "We're talking about four extra pieces of broccoli at dinner tonight, that kind of thing."

Of course, these recommendations need to be taken with a metaphorical grain of salt. These aren’t guarantees, and researchers need to conduct further investigations to better understand the factors at play as well as the effects of factors not studied, including health history and genetics.

What is so intriguing about this research is that it offers proof that tiny changes really do add up. What’s more, they are most effective when done together as part of an overall effort to improve one’s health.

 In fact, researchers found that focusing on only one category (i.e., sleep, physical activity or nutrition) in isolation required more time to see improvements. For example, people needed an extra 22 minutes of daily exercise to attain the same benefits of small adjustments to all three categories.

I love how this research shows that sometimes the solution isn’t to home in on any one category; rather, we need to consider multiple factors and try a multifaceted approach to see improvements.

Read more about the fascinating findings here.