What if I told you that every day, something is quietly stealing your life?
Not just your time, but your experiences, your growth, your memories, and even your relationships.
Studies show that people check their phones an average of 144 times a day.
That's like approximately once every 10 minutes you are awake.
When I looked at my screen time report and saw eight hours daily, I was shocked.
But I convinced myself that it wasn't that bad.
You know, like everyone's doing it.
But then I did the math.
Eight hours a day is 56 hours every week.
That's like 242 hours a month and almost like 3000 hours a year.
That's like 124 days for entire months of my year gone.
And for what i realized this one sunday night.
You know that feeling like you're lying in a bed scrolling through instagram tick, tock or whatever app you choose for the third hour and you suddenly feel this wave of emptiness.
You know, you think like where did the weekend go?
What did i actually do?
Why do i feel like i've done nothing with my life?
I call it the sunday night regret syndrome because it happens to me every single sunday and it actually happened to me, like gradually, you know, my friends would text asking to grab a dinner or catch a movie, and then i would say like i'll let you know, and then completely forget as i fell into another scrolling hole and after a while the invitations slowed, then stopped altogether, like it wasn't, until i messaged a friend about weekend plans and got the response of like oh, we stopped asking you months ago.
Then I realized what I've done.
I had traded real connections for digital ones.
And you might be experiencing digital theft if you say I don't have time for things you care about, but somehow find hours for scrolling.
You try to cut back, but find yourself right back at it few days later.
You feel physically tired, but can't sleep without checking your phone one last time before going to bed.
Or you're often physically present but mentally elsewhere.
We tell ourselves so many lies to justify this behavior, right?
We say like, I'll just check quickly.
But there's no such thing as quick check, is there?
I need to stay connected for work.
But do you really need to check it at dinner?
I'm just relaxing.
But why do you feel more drained afterward?
What's really happening is that each notification, each vibration hijacks our attention.
And research shows that it takes an average of like 23 minutes to fully refocus after an interruption.
So that like two second check actually costs you much more.
And here's what the most digital detox advice gets wrong.
They focus on what you are losing rather than what you are gaining.
They treat the symptom without addressing the cause.
So today I'm going to share what actually worked for me, not just to use my phone less, but to feel more alive in the time I've reclaimed. i actually like cut my screen time in half from eight hours to four hours and i'm still working on it because where i was still a lot in my opinion but even that change has transformed my life in a ways i never expected let's just jump into like immediate actionable things that you can start doing from today because there's no meaning if i'm like talking and talking and talking and then you know you get nothing that you can apply right now i want you to take action today first let's tackle the notification audit right now your phone is hijacking your attention according to a research 144 times a day fragmenting your focus and destroying your productivity we're getting too many notifications so here's what i want you to do go into your settings right now and turn off all notifications accept calls and text from actual humans who matter to you not groups not apps not emails just direct human connection okay like this simple step actually reduces the attention residue effect that's making it hard for you to concentrate on anything meaningful especially if you have apple watch okay turn these notifications off second schedule dedicated communication blocks when you constantly check messages throughout the day you are never fully present anywhere like it used to be me you know instead block two to three specific times in your calendar i recommend like one in the morning one during midday and one around like evening time for checking and responding to all messages during these like 15 minute blocks you are fully engaged with communication and outside of these blocks you are fully present in your own life like this prevents the exhausting context switching that is depleting your mental energy and it also helps you to get through your messages like all of them because i used to look at my like notifications especially after i got like apple watch i was constantly getting a notification i would be like oh i need to reply to that i need to reply to that but now because i have like dedicated time blocks to replying people now i am fine with just not replying right away because i know i have a block to respond to that person You know, I am more able to focus on whatever I'm doing right now because it doesn't matter.
And I don't get that notification.
I get back to those people later on.
Third, use technology to fight technology.
So I personally use Opal and it helps you like block distracting apps during specific time periods.
And I have two critical blocks.
One is working time block. and the other one is deep focus at night time and one thing that i actually love about opal is that you can do it with your friends and it's i think more like fun to block apps with your friends and turn it into a challenge and you can have like same blocks together for example during dinner time and use that like blocked time with no phone time together and spend it to deepen your relationships to actually have a conversation during dinner or lunchtime and like you can see each other's screen time too so it becomes kind of like a challenge and i personally really love it and i'm not sponsored i just blah blah okay and the fourth one is establish a one hour no phone zone today you know choose a specific hour perhaps maybe dinner time or first hour after work or maybe before going to bed and physically place your phone in another room with notifications off, like take your time to enjoy your dinner with your family or with friends or even alone.
You know, like we need some time alone.
Take this time to actually deepen your connection with others or with your own thoughts.
The next one is to redesign your morning routine.
Like your brain is most receptive and creative in the first 30 minutes after waking up,
According to research, I don't know.
And most of us waste this neurological goldmine on emails and social media.
So instead, I want you to try this, okay?
When you wake up tomorrow, before reaching your phone, sit up fully in your bed or like I don't know, feet on the floor and take some deep breaths while mentally scanning what matters today i know it sounds cheesy, but stay with me, it works okay and identify one specific thing you actually want to accomplish or experience, just you know.
Just think about it and only then, if you need to check your phone, set a timer for five minutes to prevent the morning scroll trap.
Or, if you're lazy like me, you can set this on appall And have like a dedicated block time for morning routine that allows you to check your phone only for like limited time before blocking the apps again.
It does it automatically and you don't have to like schedule it again and again.
So it's I think really handy.
And like doing, this simple practice reclaims your most valuable mental real estate and sets an intentional direction for your day.
I feel like it's one of the easy fixes that really transformed my mornings.
The another one that I want you to do is that a phone free wind down.
You can also set up a wind down, like nighttime opal deep focus block, which doesn't allow you to like open any apps, and it also protects you from deleting the app.
So if you even like delete the opal, it will still keep blocking the apps, which helped me a lot.
And with this, like no phone, 30 minutes time, you can maybe journal, maybe meditate, maybe do some yoga or even read.
Like take that time to actually rest.
You know, like make it a habit to do something without your phone before going to bed, because the blue light from screen suppresses melatonin production.
But, beyond the physical effects, the this practice actually creates like a boundary between you know, constant digital stimulation and your own thoughts.
You will not only sleep better, but begin to recognize your own voice and your thoughts among the noise of constant content.
And you don't have to do all of these like from tomorrow, but like start with one today and focus on what you're gaining instead of what you're restricting and what you are losing.
Now that we have created space in your life by reclaiming some hours, the question becomes what will you fill with it?
I feel like most videos don't talk about this.
Everyone talks about reducing screen time, but after that, what am I supposed to do, right?
Because most people nowadays don't even have hobbies.
I mean, I used to also not have a hobby.
When you spend hours scrolling, what are you actually missing?
I feel like the development of real skills, the joy of physical moment and the depth of authentic connections and, perhaps most importantly, the sense that your life is progressing rather than just passing by.
I want to share some specific examples and ways to redirect your rescue time that will make screen time feel hollow by like comparison.
So first consider social sports and activities.
This one was actually a big one for me because i realized all my hobbies, like hitting the gym, reading and other activities, were indoor pursuits i did alone.
I'm not really social.
And there's nothing wrong with solitary activities, but they weren't providing the connection I was subconsciously seeking through my phone.
And that's why I actually started playing golf.
I'm in my golf era to get outdoors and interact with others in a structured environment where conversation happens naturally.
Because, like when you are locked in a scroll cycle, you're missing the unique alchemy that happens when physical movement combines with like meaningful connection.
For example, you could join a running club or maybe fitness class or, I don't know, hiking groups or something where you will experience something screens can never provide, which is the natural rhythm of human interaction that flows between focused activity and casual conversation.
Because I feel like in these settings, conversations develop more organically, without the pressure of formal social situations, because you're simultaneously strengthening your body and your social bonds if you do these.
Next, implement progression based training in your life.
Like one of the deepest human needs is to see and feel progress, in my opinion.
Yet social media offers only the illusion of movement while keeping you stationary.
And I started lifting weights regularly, probably about like three years ago, and I feel like my life changed completely.
What makes weightlifting so powerful is the clear measurable progress you experience.
You know, when you add like five kilos to your squat or do one more rep than last week or get stronger, you get like immediate tangible feedback that you are growing and that you're becoming stronger.
And it's not only about like physical, but over time, actually my mindset transformed completely to you know, because the discipline required to show up consistently, to push through plateaus, to recover properly.
These habits like affect every aspect of your life and the resilience you build under the bar translates to resilience in life challenges.
It doesn't have to be weight lifting specifically, like you can't do anything, but i feel like the progress there is more like immediately visible than in many other activities.
But What matters is having something in your life where progress is measurable, visible and earned through consistent effort.
Our phone offers endless content but no progression.
But physical training offers both limitations and the satisfaction of transcending them.
Next one.
Consider dedicating just like 20 minutes of your rescue time to what I call a legacy project.
Like something you would be proud to leave behind.
Work on something that will outlast you.
That could be planting trees, maybe creating art or music that expresses important social or cultural messages, or contributing to, like a maybe community infrastructure.
I don't know.
But these activities connect daily actions to a larger sense of meaning that scrolling can never provide. even it can be like creating a youtube videos you know it can be your own legacy project for example like i've been doing youtube since 2016 and looking back i'm actually so grateful i filmed everything back then i still watch my like older videos and i find they capture something much deeper than pictures ever could like hearing my younger self talk about various topics makes me cringe sometimes but there's something like deeply fulfilling about witnessing my own growth over the years like when we are living day to day we often don't recognize how much we're changing and evolving but those videos serves as almost like a time capsules like showing where i was at different points in my journey i'm Like genuinely excited to actually show these videos to my non-existing children someday and maybe even my grandkids.
And there's something like profound about the idea that these pieces of myself will exist in the world even after I'm gone.
You know, it captures not just how I looked, but how I thought, what I created about and how I expressed myself.
And for this, like you, don't need to chase views or subscribers.
The true value might come decades later, when these digital time capsules love future generations.
Maybe your kids, maybe your grandparents grandkids know, in a way, photos alone never cut.
This is a very simple but quite like powerful one, in my opinion, and i call this like a connection investment.
It can be like using just 15 minutes to write a thoughtful message or call someone important in your life, not just like checking in but sharing maybe a specific observation, maybe appreciation or memory.
It can be even like telling to people that you love them.
You know, i call my mom and i say to her like i love you.
Quite often, while social media creates like the illusion of connection, this practice creates its reality.
For example, like i call my japanese grandma three to four times per week and my mom every day, and i try to connect with my friends in a deeper way like, for example, with my friend eric, who is also a youtuber check out his channel.
We do what we call like a mustard ketchup session, where we meet like every few months and talk for like five to six hours about our life, our youtube channels, like our vision, our goals and like so much more.
And this goes far beyond just messaging someone and saying like hey, how's it going?
Like even just genuinely catching up deeply for 15 minutes with someone you care about creates a connection that's infinitely more meaningful than simply liking their posts on social media, in my opinion.
Another Another one that I recommend is working on skill mastery, like commit to developing expertise in something challenging that matters to you.
It could be maybe learning a language, maybe musical instrument craft or maybe even discipline, and the progression from completely novice towards Mastery actually provides a sense of purpose and satisfaction that the endless novelty of digital content can never match.
Our brain craves the challenge of mastering difficult skills, not just consuming pre-packaged content.
And if you're passionate about your career, deepening those professional abilities skills that can help your career Makes perfect sense, in my opinion.
But if you don't particularly enjoy your current job and can't change it right now, you can either develop skills completely unrelated to your work that brings joy, or cultivate abilities that might eventually open new career doors.
The point is to plant seeds for your future self and pursue mastery which gives purpose and satisfaction, in my opinion.
For example, like I'm currently working getting better at playing golf, as I mentioned, but not because I want to become a pro golf player or something.
I mean, it's too late, but to get to a point where I can invite others to play golf together.
Because, like most entrepreneurs, play golf and it's a sport you can play regardless of gender and age.
And I thought it would be a great way to connect with others while developing a skill that I enjoy.
Especially because I'm like socially awkward too.
Like playing golf helps me to connect with people.
Kind of like takes out that social anxiety from me.
So it's two birds with one stone.
As we wrap up, I want to leave you with a practical system to track your progress.
One of my favorite quotes goes like what gets measured gets managed, and what gets managed gets improved.
The cornerstone of this journey isn't just using your phone less.
It's not about that, you know.
It's becoming aware of how and why you use it and then gradually shifting toward more intentional usage, and this, like simple tracking system, will help you build that awareness.
I basically created a digital journal template that you can download it right now from the link in description, and it's like completely free.
You can like use a pen and paper, if that works better for you, and if maybe you want to do it at nighttime before going to bed and you want to eliminate screen time, that's perfect too.
The digital version helps to track it like easily.
That's why i prefer it.
So each day, take just like a one or two minutes to log one of these.
First, record your daily screen time from your phone settings.
Don't judge the number, just note it, and this gives you an objective data on your progress over time.
And then next, choose one of these questions to answer like.
Not all of them, just one of them.
What was one moment today when i felt fully present in a life?
When did i reach for my phone today, out of habit rather than purpose?
And the last one is what's one small thing i want to experience fully tomorrow?
You don't need to answer every question every day.
The key is consistency and not perfection, so just pick one that resonates and stick with it, and you can alternate every single day too.
I started actually doing this like journaling thing.
It actually helped me a lot when it comes to decreasing my screen time from eight hours to four hours, because It makes you more aware of your phone consumption and changes your relationship with technology.
And it's not about like using your phone less, but being more intentional with it and using the time that you rescued on the things that you care about, and that actually makes you feel like you are living and you're alive and you are here.
The goal is not about like digital minimalism and ditching social media and becoming anti-technology or something.
The goal is digital intentionality, using these like powerful tools to enhance our lives rather than escape from it, because our phone isn't like inherently good or bad, it's simply amplifying our choices.
So we have to make these choices conscious and technology becomes what it always meant to be another replacement for life, but a tool to make life richer, more connected and more meaningful.
So tonight, I want you to please put down your phone a little earlier, okay?
Tomorrow morning, wait a little longer before picking it up.
And in the space between, start to rediscover what it feels like to be fully alive.
Spend time with people who matters to you.
See you soon.
