Break Free: Stop Letting Distractions Steal Your Life
Simple, actionable steps to break free from social media addiction and focus on what truly matters.
It was a Friday. Alex was happy. And why not, everyone looks forward to a weekend.
Isn’t that so?
Something was brewing in his mind: After the office, I would head straight for a few drinks and by 8 PM I would be back home. 8 PM, he emphasized. 8 PM, he confirmed again (with himself) to not miss the promise.
Once at the bar, he quickly gulped one drink and the other. He had to leave by 8, he reminded himself. And then he gobbled another peg and quaffed a few more. When he looked at his watch, it was already 2 am. Bewildered, he rose from his seat and dashed for the door.
He hurried his pace but he was not in control of his body. He took a shortcut through a garden and on the way tripped over rose bushes. Bruised and in pain, he gathered himself, stood on his shaky legs and started walking again. He soon found himself fiddling for the keys.
It took him about 20 minutes to find the keyhole and let himself in. In the bathroom, he looked at the wounds on his face. He tip-toed into the bedroom, got hold of the first aid box and with deep interest, he could place bandages on his bruised face. Relieved, he retraced his steps back to the bedroom and with deftness (not common to a drunken man) collapsed on the bed, beside his wife, who was sleeping like a log. He thanked God, closed his eyes and passed out.
The next morning, he woke up to a bucket of cold water on his face. Befuddled, he opened his eyes and saw his wife staring at him. ‘You started drinking again.’ ‘No…no…I haven’t for a while,’ he fumbled. His wife caught hold of his collar and dragged him to the bathroom.
The mirror had bandages all over it.
Alex stood there, stunned, and motionless.
Sometimes years of conditioning in self-doubt, fear and a sense of insecurity do not let us realize our true potential.
Don’t we act like Alex most of our lives? Postponing what matters for a little peg. And this peg is not necessarily a drink. It is our addiction to TikTok, Reels, Shorts and whatnot that keep us away from the real action. But with little self-awareness, if we truly desire, we can manage our addictions.
Here are three quick ways to limit social media usage and get productive.
1. Set a Daily Limit
Make use of built-in features like Screen Time (iPhone) or Digital Wellbeing (Android) to set a daily usage cap for social media apps.
How to activate: Open the settings, choose your app, and set a time limit. You can set screen time goal or you can choose to set time limits for the app you choose.
2. Move Apps to a Hidden Folder
Relocate social media apps to a folder buried on a less accessible screen of your phone. Out of sight, out of mind!
How to activate: Drag and drop the apps to a new folder. Done in less than a minute.
3. Turn off notifications
If you do not want to be distracted when doing the most important work, disable notifications for social media apps to avoid constant interruptions.
Quote of the Week
"As you start to walk on the way, the way appears." - Rumi
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Past Editions
13 Dec. | Don’t Die Before Your Death
06 Dec. | Lessons on Starting a New Habit/Task