The Phone Edition
How I cut my screen time to under 35 minutes a day — without going off-grid
💭 Pattern
You’re just waiting in line. Or between tasks. Or bored.
Your thumb finds the icon. Instagram. TikTok. Maybe both.
You scroll. You consume. You lose track of time.
You close the app… and feel drained.
This happens five, ten, maybe twenty times a day.
Maybe more.
The problem isn’t your screen.
The problem is that the apps are designed to keep you hooked.
Whole teams — scientists, engineers, product managers — are working to make sure you scroll longer, check more often, and stay plugged in.
It’s not a lack of discipline.
It’s a rigged game.
And the goal is your attention.
🧠 The Shift: Don’t quit your screen. Curate your screen.
I made two small edits and it changed the game.
I haven’t gone off-grid or become “that person” who switches to a flip phone but my average screen time is now under 35 minutes…and here is how I did it on easy mode
✂️ 1. Deleted dopamine apps from my phone
They’re still on my desktop. I can check Instagram and TikTok when I want.
But taking them off my phone has removed the trigger — and killed the reflex.
The result?
I still “catch up,” but I don’t get sucked in.
And honestly, the desktop versions aren’t as addictive
The infinite scroll, notifications and swipe-to-refresh features are clunkier turning down the addiction loop.
I’m not fighting the system anymore — I just stepped outside of it.
🧠 2. I kept Pinterest — and that made all the difference
When I want a quick break, I still have something to scroll… a bit of visual escape.
But Pinterest feels different: slower, quieter, inspiring.
It’s not addictive — at least not in the same way.
There’s no endless loop. No hypnotic pull that sucks you in for 30 minutes.
I use it, enjoy it, and close the app — feeling calm, entertained, and a little more inspired than before.
You don’t have to go zero screen.
But you tweak your environment — and get a completely different output.
🧩 Your Anchor
When you catch yourself reaching for your phone, ask:
🌀 “What does this app leave me feeling?”
🌀 “Do I want to feed this state of mind right now?”
And one tiny shift — one less app — might give you back a couple of hours of your day.