Almost Cold Turkey

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This past week, I decided I needed a break from constant screens for my own health. It was all simply becoming too much. I found myself randomly, needlessly opening apps on my phone, refreshing my inbox as if expecting something, reading the latest news headlines, and catching up on hot-takes on Mastodon. All of it wasted time, focused on everything and nothing all at once. Exhausting.

While my work and modern life doesn’t allow me to go cold turkey, I decided it was best to take a step back. I logged out of socials, uninstalled apps like Discord, and went scorched-earth with my phone’s notification policies. All I really left in place was Overcast, Reader, and Puzzmo. Everything else became desktop-only. Informed and entertained, but not distracted.

And I think it helped. I found myself slowly being more present with myself, my family and friends, and my surroundings.

I think we, as citizens of this big floaty rock, have every responsibility to stay informed and engaged now more than ever. But fuck if it isn’t anxiety-inducing. What I think I’m advocating for here is absolutely not turning a blind eye to your neighbor (and the entire planet). It’s staying informed and engaged in a way that works for you. Endlessly scrolling Discord channels all day, while missing what was going on in my home and community, wasn’t working for me. And so I quit, almost cold turkey.

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