1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,080 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to try going screen free for twenty 4 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: four hours. We spend a lot of time on our 5 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,479 Speaker 1: phones and devices, but consciously taking a break can be 6 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 1: eye opening and kind of well fun. Thanks to Apple's 7 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,520 Speaker 1: screen time feature, I've realized over the past few months 8 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:35,599 Speaker 1: that I've been spending an increasing number of hours per 9 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: day on my phone, often mindlessly. I texted my husband 10 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: and babysitter and a few friends, and that's all great, 11 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: But every time I pick up the phone to look 12 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 1: at my text, I wind up looking at other stuff too. 13 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 1: Random comments on an article Twitter, coronavirus headlines that I 14 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: don't need to be following. Even checking the time, or 15 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: the weather or my steps winds up triggering a cycle 16 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 1: of looking through social media feeds. Looking at the phone 17 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 1: also becomes my default for when I'm feeding my baby, 18 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: and that adds hours too. The baby feeding time is 19 00:01:07,560 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: what it is, but the rest of the time is 20 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 1: harder to justify. It doesn't work to ignore the phone, 21 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: so instead I've been trying to leave my phone elsewhere 22 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: for periods of time when it's okay. For instance, when 23 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: I went for a walk recently with my parents and 24 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: my kids, I couldn't really imagine that anyone else would 25 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: desperately need to reach me, so I left the phone. 26 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: On a recent beach vacation, I would leave the phone 27 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 1: at the house. When I was with my family on 28 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,040 Speaker 1: the sand, I couldn't pick up the phone in a 29 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: moment of boredom, and so I looked at the waves 30 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: and it felt more relaxing. Of course, the phone is 31 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: incredibly useful, as is my laptop, but given that we're 32 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: all going places less frequently these days, this might be 33 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: a great time to try not using it for a while. 34 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: What would happen if you park the phone somewhere in 35 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: your house and go screen free for a few hours 36 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 1: or even a full Today's challenge is to give it 37 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: a try, maybe over this weekend. Maybe take a quick 38 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: look in the morning to deal with anything. Then turn 39 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: the phone off or put it somewhere to charge. Don't 40 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 1: turn on your work laptop. Tell anyone who often reaches 41 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: you by phone that you'll be off for a bit, 42 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: just so they're not concerned. Then see how it goes. 43 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: There are definitely moments of boredom, but when there's no 44 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: easy way out, you figure out something else to do. 45 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: I stare at the sky more, and it's hard to 46 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: tell yourself that you have no time when you're staring 47 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: at the clouds. Truth is, though, just about any time 48 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: I'm reading headlines and feeling like I don't have time, 49 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: I could have been looking at the clouds, I always 50 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: had the time. I generally just try to go screen 51 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 1: free for a few hours, which I think is better 52 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: than nothing. You can check in mid day if you'd 53 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: like to, or go to the evening and then check 54 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 1: in if you're brave, twenty four hours. It's definitely doable 55 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: over a weekend, as long as you're not trying to 56 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 1: coordinate complicated plans. Plenty of people already tone out for 57 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: religious reasons, and they seem to do just fine. I 58 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: know some people take occasional week long completely off screen vacations, 59 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: but that's never been practical for me since I'm often 60 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: texting to coordinate with family members. But this doesn't have 61 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: to be all or nothing. Just try being off for 62 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,239 Speaker 1: a bit and see what happens. If the world doesn't 63 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: fall apart, and it generally doesn't then try again. You 64 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: just might enjoy it. If you try going screen free 65 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: for a day or a few days, or at least 66 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: a few hours, let me know how it goes. You 67 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: can reach me once you're back on at Before Breakfast 68 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: podcast at iHeart media dot com. In the meantime, this 69 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 70 00:03:51,120 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear 71 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 72 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 73 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four, 74 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me 75 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media 76 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: dot com. That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all 77 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying 78 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. 79 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the i 80 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 81 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.