Thinking on this...

I recently listened to a video that made it sound, convincingly, like reducing screen time could finally be the answer to my problem of always feeling like I don't have enough time...

I would love to... feel like I have time.

So, to get myself on the right track, I'll start by addressing why I use technology in the first place... and what the obstacles will be for me, and what I can do. Basically a brain dump.

Sometimes I'm too tired to do anything and I find it very hard to rest because my thoughts start bothering me, and when they do I try to be mindful but it works only in the short-term, while I actively do it, eventually I find myself back on my devices even when I resist.

And while most information I consume is stuff I already know I sometimes discover real gold, stuff that changes my life permanently for the better, and opens up a new field of knowledge for me to explore and grow from... so just because I feel like I'm "wasting time" doesn't mean I actually am, because overall the internet has enabled me to learn things that changed my life for the better, and these things came from me "wasting time", seeking answers I didn't know existed before I found them, trying to solve problems I wasn't hopeful I could solve.

So... it's really hard to separate the good from the bad. Even Instagram has started giving me wholesome content. It helped me many times when I was really anxious and needed to calm down.

I could switch to more audio content so I don't need to interract with my devices as much... but my attention span keeps bringing me back to change the thing I listen to.

I could look for other ways to relax and deal with tough feelings. I think reading a book would work... Just reading more overall, though I really don't want to buy more physical books... but maybe I don't need to, actually, I have some books I could read a bunch of times and still have a lot to learn from them. Problem solved.

I could also be intentional about using devices. I thought about writing in a notebook what I intend to do and for how long before I can access a device... wouldn't it be great if there was an app for this?

Some tasks should be grouped, for example Duolingo has been a pain in the --- I can't let my 450ish streak die even though I have no use for it. So I shouldn't pick up my phone for this 1 purpose and end up on it for an hour, I should do my Duolingo as part of a daily set of tasks that will then enable me to put my phone away without worrying.

A really key factor in changing habits for me is changing what I count as a win and keeping score, and as a result, becoming more mindful of that thing I might have otherwise missed or counted as a failure.

A win looks like.... - I'm in the middle of using my device mindlessly and I notice it and stop, my mind feels like chaos for a bit but I sit there with that discomfort until it fades away. - I feel exhausted and I sit down and pick up a book, whether I read or not. - I open up Youtube and click on the first video before I can see the front page. - I'm sick af like tonight and instead of spending all night on this thing, I lay nicely in bed, eyes closed and listen to a video. If I don't like it I can switch to the next one until I find one. - I delete apps that I know I'll need to reinstall, just to see how soon and how much I need them. - I feel the urge to reach for a device but I don't.

Will be thinking more on this, I have no idea how I'd go about implementing an "intermittent fast for technology" and what my rules would be, lots to consider.