Cutting back your screen time should feel peaceful… right?

In Episode 161, part of Phone Free Fall, I’m sharing a deeply honest four-to-six-week check-in on what it’s really like to change your relationship with your phone — including the withdrawal phase no one talks about, the “brain bargaining” that happens in the early weeks, and the surprising shifts that happen when your nervous system stops drinking from the firehose of five-second dopamine hits.

If you’ve ever wondered why scrolling feels rewarding, why boredom feels unbearable, or why your screen time spikes right when you’re trying to quit, this episode unpacks all of that with compassion, context, and real tools.

Together we explore:

✔️ What I actually changed (spoiler: nothing dramatic)

If you’re trying to scroll less and live more, this episode will help you feel less alone in the messy middle — and more confident about what’s actually happening in your brain, your body, and your habits.

Why your brain negotiates, bargains, and resists when you put your phone away

Why real life feels slow after constant online stimulation

How to interpret boredom as data instead of failure

How your saved folders reveal what you’re craving in real life

Why the “invisible load” peaks at the same time as screen time

How creativity grows when consumption shrinks

The tiny daily patterns (6am scroll, waiting-in-line scroll, bedtime scroll) worth noticing

How to reset without moralizing or self-judgment

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Use these prompts to explore your own phone-free journey:

When in your day are you most likely to reach for your phone?

What emotion usually triggers the scroll — boredom? overwhelm? avoidance?

What “quick hits” does your brain miss most?

What real-life activities give you slow-drip dopamine?

What creative urges are hiding behind your saved folders?

When you scroll “to rest,” does it actually feel restful afterwards?

How does your mood shift before, during, and after scrolling?

What small moment could you reclaim (morning routine, commute, transitions)?

Are you doing Phone Free Fall with me?

And if today’s episode helped you feel seen, scroll a little less, or breathe a little deeper, make sure you share this episode with a friend you care about, so we can build a big community of people stepping back from this black box of doom.