It’s easy and it works.
(Reading Time: 3 Minutes)
Back in January 2020, I conducted a year-long experiment. I started logging several simple actions on a habit tracker to see if these small incremental modifications would make a difference.
I was astounded by the impact.
The most significant transformation (I don’t use that word lightly) came from the simple action of leaving my phone downstairs at bedtime.
If you want to bring about immediate and significant positive change, I cannot recommend this highly enough.
Seriously. It will change your life.
Life Before
If you’re anything like me, you get lost in scrolling.
Before you know it, two hours have passed, and you traversed the eUniverse meandering from Prince Harry on James Corden to the YouTube snow volcano, that dog singing “I’m too sexy” to Gordon Ramsay on TikTok.
It’s a toxic mess that gobbles time and leaves you wondering “What the hell just happened?” There’s no added value. Nothing learned. Just time lost.
No matter how good my intentions, I could not help myself.
The message to the friend who needs cheering up would suck 30 minutes as I got absorbed in trying to find the perfect gif. Clearing out my inbox so that I could start the day from zero would take an age – who knew I needed a National Trust boot jack? Reading the news headlines? Put it this way, if you’re a man down on your quiz team, give me a call.
As a Gen X’er, I didn’t grow up with a mobile (thank God). Maybe it’s me. Perhaps I don’t have the required level of self-control. Whatever. With my new habit tracking super-power, I prized the device from my hand and left it in my office, plugged in until morning.
The Impact Was Immediate
Here’s why.
1. I slept better
Unsurprisingly the reduction in exposure to the blue light emitted by my phone meant that I got off to sleep much faster and earlier than usual. I was calmer. I wasn’t rattled by something I’d read. Neither was I tricked into staying awake by my scrolling.
2. I got up earlier
I wasn’t tired or groggy from too much lost time the night before. Because I’d slept better and for longer, I was sprightlier in the morning. I couldn’t reach for my phone while still under the covers, so I didn’t get stuck in bed for an extra half an hour. Instead, I got up and used the gained time for ‘me.’ This meant writing my morning pages and meditating.
3. My mood improved
As Jetty Shetty says in Think Like a Monk, you are your news feed.
“What’s on your news feed is feeding your mind. The more we are absorbed in celebrity gossip, images of success, violent video games, and troubling news, the more our values are tainted with envy, judgment, competition, and discontent.”
I was more able to manage my thoughts. They weren’t sullied by meaningless dross. I didn’t start my day comparing myself to someone else on social media or reading something that irritated me. I wasn’t cross at myself for wasting time. Instead, I was clear and ready to start the day. There’s nothing better than starting the day on the front foot.
4. I started reading again
Kids, a big job, and being tired all the time meant that somewhere along the way, I stopped reading at bedtime. Silently, creeping, without me noticing, this was replaced by reading stuff on my mobile phone. Contrary to reading a book, the things I read on my phone didn’t contribute to my personal growth. Once I left my phone in another room, I picked up a book, and I haven’t put one down since. It’s like falling back in love with a favorite old boyfriend who’s been waiting in the wings all along. I didn’t realize how much I missed him.
5. Connection
I never noticed how much taking a phone to bed interfered with my relationship with my partner. It does. It’s an alien presence in your intimate space. It’s a barrier. You’ll notice when you remove it and wonder how the hell you let it happen.
6. It’s an initiator
Like the butterfly’s wings, the action of leaving your phone downstairs at bedtime is only the start. It’s the trigger to a whole load of other serendipitous benefits. Sleeping more means that I am more even-tempered and more patient with my kids. My writing has improved as I’ve realized that I’m creatively at my best first thing in the morning. I get to see the sunrise. I have more purpose, and, as crazy as its sounds, I am more fulfilled.
Final Notes
I bought an alarm clock, an old-school battery-powered one, to replace the alarm on my phone. It works great and does the job. I’m also a fan of a sleep cast so, if I’m in the mood, I use an old device so that I don’t need to miss out. However, I am strict and have deleted all other apps and distractions from it.
If leaving your phone in another room stresses you out because you’re worried about missing an emergency call, then turn off all notifications and plug it in within earshot.
For the first time in my life, I like getting up early. I feel renewed. I’m a massive personal development junkie, but I’m picky. I’m only interested in things that work. Don’t tell me I can change my life or the world without giving me details.
Well, here you go. Make your bedroom a phone-free zone. You won’t regret it.
References
Shetty, J., 2020. Think Like a Monk: How to Train Your Mind for Peace & Purpose Every Day. London, UK: Thorsons Harper Collins.
Further reading from The Rediscovery of Me
Complete Emotional Freedom is the Greatest Expression of Love
I used A Habit Tracker for a Year. Here’s the Surprising Truth of What Happened
