If you’re reading this while sat on the bog, doomscrolling your life away, this one’s for you (and make sure you wash your hands, you filthy animal!!)
Earlier this year, I did something which felt super uncomfortable.
I left the country…
…and left my phone behind.
No emails, no WhatsApp, no “just quickly checking something,” no scrolling through other people’s lives on socials. Just a paper map, a journal and a villa that overlooked a valley so peaceful, it felt like time stood still. I was genuinely shitting myself!
For the first time in a long time, my brain slowed down. Not in a bad way, but in a finally-I-can-hear-my-own-thoughts way. It was an incredible experience and actually allowed me to think deeply and broadly about everything and anything.
It was where my initial idea of starting Built For More came from and where I mapped out how I could help people to transform their lives and truly live the life they deserve. It’s where I reflected on the habits I’d been developing in my daily life and their impact on me. I wanted to share these insights with anyone willing to spend time with me, work together, and let me help them. It’s where I thought about my friends and family, and how grateful I am to have each of them in my life. It was then that I realised I wanted to be a coach, helping people rather than just making more money for business shareholders. It's where I finally found my Purpose.
Our phones are incredible and truly awful at the same time.
They keep us connected, informed and entertained, but they also keep us anxious, distracted and overstimulated. Every ping, every scroll and every red notification bubble. That’s a little hit of dopamine, which, over time, numbs your natural reward system, making it harder to focus, harder to feel content and harder to just be without something buzzing in your hand.
Try it now – just turn that thing off for 30 minutes and come back to reading this article afterwards…I dare you! Drop me a comment at the bottom of this article when you’re done and tell me how it felt.
Stop scrolling…I know you’ve literally just ignored me. Off you go – switch the thing off!
When I left my phone behind in the UK, I felt the withdrawal almost instantly. It was a horrible feeling of disconnection, but I was really excited about what it might bring me.
But then something else kicked in…
I started paying attention.
I journaled every morning, something I love doing and helps so much
I navigated with a real map (plot twist: they still work by the way!).
I watched the light change across the valley instead of watching people I don’t know renovate kitchens on Instagram or talk about bollocks I’m really uninterested in.
I got bored, and then I got creative. I remembered what it felt like to be present for the first time in years. I don’t think I’ve felt that for SO long…possibly since I was a child. The unencumbered feeling of just being me.
Here’s what I took home and what you can try without needing a plane ticket:
1. Your bedroom is for the two S’s - sleep and sex...not scrolling.
Leave your phone in another room.
Get an alarm clock.
Protect that space. It sets the tone for your whole day.
2. Use Airplane Mode to get shit done.
Want to focus? Write? Get creative?
Switch it on. It’s basically a modern-day Do Not Disturb sign for your brain.
3. No screens 2 hours before bed.
Blue light suppresses melatonin, delays sleep and disrupts recovery.
Shut it down early, read a book, have a bath or do something that doesn’t require a charger (unless it’s a Kindle, obvs…)
4. Leave your phone in another room during deep work.
We’re not built to multitask. Especially not when Instagram and Slack are screaming for attention.
5. Get bored. Seriously.
Put the phone down and let your mind wander.
That’s where ideas come from.
I didn’t go to Italy for a detox, but I came back with a clearer mind, a healthier dopamine system and a deep reminder that disconnection is sometimes the only way to truly reconnect.
If you're constantly switched on, always accessible and can't remember the last time your brain was quiet…
Try leaving the phone behind. Even just for a few hours.
No pasta maker required.
You made it to the end, so either you’re deeply inspired, avoiding emails, or you’ve officially ignored everything I’ve just said.
Either way, put the phone down and off you pop. I mean it – piss off please. Go channel your inner Italian and do literally anything offline.
You can confess your sins in the comments later.
