For four weeks, I’ve been more mindful of my tech addiction. Not perfect — some days I stayed disciplined, other days I gave in and scrolled longer than I intended. But the good outweighed the bad.

The biggest lesson? Awareness changes everything.

I didn’t quit scrolling completely, but I started noticing the impulse — the automatic reach for my phone, the “just five minutes” that turns into thirty. So many Apps and Games are designed to keep us hooked, so this isn’t about weakness. It’s about intention.

My advice: start your own program. Set simple boundaries. Give yourself more time than you think you need. And add things like saying out loud, “I’m going to look at my phone” when you do pick up your phone – it’s totally ridiculous, but it worked. Somehow.

I’m continuing the Detox into March because I’m not free of the habit yet. But I believe if I learned it, I can unlearn it.

Progress isn’t perfection — it’s awareness.

References and Resources

The Start: Addiction – And What I’m Doing About it

Week 1 Recap: Dealing with Tech Addiction

Week 2 Recap: The Liar in My Head

Week 3 Recap: Progress is Not Linear

This week was a step backward in my Dopamine Detox.

I skipped meditation. I stopped closely tracking my phone use. I gave into the moments between moments where I often look at my phone. I fell off more days than I stayed on.

But before I call it failure, I need to remember why I started.

For months, I was waking up carrying yesterday with me — news, work, stress, general disappointment in humanity. I never felt reset. It was building, quietly, and taking a toll. So I committed to February as a reset. A return to center.

Even in a “bad” week, I still worked out. I still bricked my phone. I still felt more present than I used to.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about breaking the reflex to constantly stay “on.” It’s about coming back to myself and being present for others.

The spreadsheet I use to track every day may not show huge gains. But internally, I feel progress.

And that’s enough for now.

References and Resources

The Start: Addiction – And What I’m Doing About it

Week 1 Recap: Dealing with Tech Addiction

Week 2 Recap: The Liar in My Head

Week 2 of my attempt to rewire my tech-addicted brain just wrapped.

This week wasn’t about recognizing the problem. That part is clear. It was about remembering — repeatedly — that I haven’t actually beaten it.

There’s a voice in my head that desperately wants things to go back to “normal.” It tries to convince me I’ve already made enough progress. That I’m fine. That I don’t need to be this strict. That checking something quickly won’t hurt.

That voice is a liar.

This week felt like an internal battle between the part of me that wants clarity and control, and the part that wants comfort and resists change. The battle cost me two days. Not catastrophic days — but steps backward.

And that’s the uncomfortable truth: progress isn’t linear.

What Improved

Despite the slips, this week was more consistent overall.

• I locked my phone more deliberately.
• I meditated every single day (which still surprises me).
• My sleep improved significantly — except on the nights when I slipped and went searching for “the end of the internet.”

Meditation, especially, is proving to be foundational. It’s not dramatic or mystical. It just creates space. And that space gives me clarity.

Same Routine, Better Execution

I followed the same routine as last week (linked here), but this time with more intention.

What changed wasn’t the system — it was my awareness within it.

What I Added: Replace, Don’t Just Remove

This week I realized something important: it’s not enough to reduce tech. I have to replace it with progress.

If I’m reclaiming time, I need to direct it somewhere meaningful. So I added three morning rules:

• Eat the Frog – Do one hard task first thing in the morning — usually something I’ve been procrastinating on.
• No phone for the first 30 minutes of the Day – No scrolling. No checking. The only exception is meditation.
• Daily review – Check the calendar. Write the task list. Track the day.

This shift felt powerful. It’s one thing to avoid distraction. It’s another to actively build momentum.

The Urge Is Still There

The urge to grab my phone hasn’t disappeared.

In fact, it’s incredibly real.

Notifications are sneaky. I turn them off, and somehow a new one appears when I’m least prepared. Thirty minutes disappear before I even register what happened.

That’s the addictive loop. And I’m still in it — just more aware of it, I guess.

The Scorecard

Five very good days.
Two step-backs.

Overall? A good week.

But I haven’t had my first great seven-day week yet.

That’s the goal.

Week 3 starts now.

Go here for the Week 1 Recap

References and Resources

Eat the Frog; Type: Video

Last week, I set out to rewire my tech-addicted brain.

The problem I’m trying to solve is simple: I’m not getting a proper reset from one day to the next. That lack of reset leaves me feeling anxious throughout the day. Some people can push through and fake it, but for me, it was compounding. It was catching up, and I needed to do something about it.

I know I’m not alone in this, so I decided to share the journey.

For the month of February, I’m focusing on becoming more aware of how I use technology while building habits that help reduce the dopamine deficit I carry over from the day—and night—before.

Each day, I tracked behaviors that either reduced my tech usage or improved my overall balance:

• Wake up by 6:00 a.m. (no earlier than 5:00 a.m.)
• No phone in the bathroom (obvious—and disgusting)
• One hour of active learning (not work-related) per day
• “Brick” my phone for 10 hours a day (remove apps that put me into autopilot)
• Work out at least 3 times per week
• Meditate for 10 minutes per day
• Off tech by 8:30 p.m.
• Create deliberate family time in the morning

The biggest lesson from this week: I’m addicted.

The urge to pick up my phone is constant. Games and apps are clearly designed to reinforce that behavior. Still, for a first week, I did well.

Two habits made the biggest difference: meditation and bricking my phone.

On days I meditated—though I didn’t manage it every day—I completed about 50% more of my objectives than on days I didn’t. That surprised me. I don’t usually meditate, and I find it difficult, but the impact was undeniable. I’m going to keep doing it.

On days I bricked my phone for at least 10 hours, I completed 100% of my objectives.

For clarity, “bricking” my phone means using an app that essentially turns my smartphone into a flip phone: no apps, no web, no distractions.

For more details on my detox, go to the start here.

Starting February 1, I will be going through a dopamine reset. This is Dr. Lembke’s 30-day dopamine reset, as referenced in her book “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence.” Every day, I will abstain from technology and games – things that have become my default way of calming myself down in this political, economic, and work climate. But here’s the thing, my addiction does not actually calm me down; they make me numb by giving me frictionless (arguably, meaningless) momentary rewards. So, during the month of February, I will do hard things, and I will be posting weekly about my progress, regressions, and struggles. Wish me luck. Below is the plan.

Step 1: Name the problem: Tech addiction is my drug of choice.

1. I have easy access at all times
2. There is an infinite quantity of content and rabbit holes
3. Because the internet is endless, I lose complete track of everything (including time and focus – two very precious things)
4. Also, because I never reach an end, there is always a need to continue – to find the information treasure or the one story, meme, or video that makes it all worth it.
5. Lastly, I play a game on my phone that is clearly built on Addictive principles, as it reinforces constant use for points that have no real meaning.

Step 2: Name the plan: Undergo Dopamine Addiction Rewiring

During my Dopamine Reset.

1. I will upregulate dopamine by improving on:
   • Deliberate Exercise – Success Measure: Minimum 3x a week
   • Meditation: 10 minutes daily – Boredom is not bad
   • Overall: Reinvesting in things that are hard
2. To do this, I will:
   • Remove all browsers from my personal laptops
   • This week: I will count my baselines (daily time on tech)
   • Remove instagram and games from my phone
   • Identify & remove triggers that create my need for technology
   • Shut my work computer down by 7pm
   • Use the brick.app to ensure I stay off my phone at the wrong times
   • Turn off all technology 1 hour before bed
   • Dedicate a minimum of 1 hour to learning
   • Switch to grayscale on all devices
3. Who is going to hold me accountable:
   • My Partner
   • You (Posting here will keep me honest)

My goal is to reduce my Dopamine Deficit, which makes me susceptible to Addiction.

Buckle up. February should be interesting.

References and Resources

‘How I rewired my brain in six weeks’ (Part 1) by BBC; Type: Video

‘Dopamine Detox: How to Regain Control of Your life in 30 days‘ by Doug Bopst/Dr. Lempke; Type: Video