Week 1: The honeymoon
Notes on breaking free from constant media consumption for 109 days
I’m at the end of the first week of my most recent life experiment, the Attention Reclamation Project. It all started when my partner, Matt, called me out on the earbud perma-attached to my earhole. Five days later, I committed to a 109-day experiment to drastically disrupt the media consumption habits I’ve grappled with since childhood.
The Rules Guidelines:
No bluetooth earbuds. (Matt hid them for me to eliminate the temptation.) If I’m gonna listen to something, it’s on a speaker or crazy-inconvenient (haha) wired buds.
No solo YouTube, tiktok, streaming TV or movies, or any other video-based media. (*I can watch something as a social activity with others.)
I have up to one hour each day to listen to a podcast, audiobook, or online course material, if desired.
I’m collecting data along the way: morning check-ins, media urge tracking, and evening reflections.
Week 1 vibes
This week was, in a word (chain): sparkles-and-puppies-on-rainbows-awesome.
Seriously, the worst I felt all week was the night before starting, anticipating letting go of all my easy-escape buttons. But, this week, it’s felt amazing. I have experienced plenty of urges, yes. But, they are small and short-lived and easily managed.
What I’m experiencing more of
music, and with that, dancing and singing
creative ideas and urges
actions toward my goals (like starting this Substack after a year of procrastinating)
initiating social interactions and events
capacity to interact with others without irritability or need to retreat (rare for lil ol’ introverted me)
baking and cooking
What I’m experiencing less of
feeling like I wasted my day
eyestrain
afternoon and evening fatigue
feeling socially awkward or just wanting to gettheheckoutofhereasap
junk food cravings
feeling uncontrollably hooked on something (I’ll just get to those important things once I finish this season of Love is Blind…annnnnd the Pschyology in Seattle reaction YouTube videos about this season of Love is Blind, annnnnd then maybe a little reddit-rabbit-holing about this season of Love is Blind)
What I’m noticing in the data
The majority of my media urges were habit-based (44%) followed by stress/anxiety (33%)
My total media consumption (solo and social) went down 86% from my baseline
My level of inspiration/creativity increased 87% (interestingly reverse-mirroring the decrease of media consumption)
My mood increased by 33% and my energy level increased 25%
I’m ending my days with higher satisfaction in my productivity, creative endeavors, self-care, and relationships
What I’m learning
While the ease of this week was surprising, what felt more important was how much more I was able to listen to myself. I was able to tune in and notice my internal experiences without reaching for something to put in my ear and drown it out. In fact, those uncomfortable moments felt more easy to navigate without the constant noise and distraction.
I know my human nature too well to hope that it will be like this every week, but I’m reveling in it for now.
What probably helped
I’ve been thinking about this change for a long time. Years. Decades, if I’m being honest. I know I use media consumption as a coping mechanism, but at this point, it is also a habit that costs me a lot.
It feels similar to when I was grappling with my relationship with alcohol. I knew for a long time that it was costing me (energy, mood, sleep, motivation) more than it was giving me. It was a few years of uncomfortable awareness and contemplation that eventually created the foundation for action and sustainable change.
Matt sharing his feedback with me was the right conversation at the right time to get this change process started. Back in 2018, I had the right conversation with the right person who handed me the right book (This Naked Mind by Annie Grace) that flipped the switch. I lost my desire for alcohol and drastically changed my relationship with it. It was a fork in the road that was a long time in the making, and it changed my life for the better.
Change is an interesting beast. I think sometimes it requires some (or massive) grappling and some (or buckets of) discomfort before the breakthrough comes.
I have to honor my decades of wrestling with it, because I know it has led me here—to a place where I have the capacity, the tools, the awareness, and the support to experiment with letting go of one of my biggest avoidance behaviors. It feels right and healthy and good.
And for this week, pretty darn blissful.