How do I hear myself think?
Everywhere I go—in person and online—people are saying they want to change their relationship with their phones and especially with social media. There are many good reasons to step back from these platforms right now, including privacy concerns, AI-related anxieties, and the sudden, intense desire to divest from certain tech companies.
Some of these reasons are directly related to our writing. How can we find the centered focus to write if we are constantly in an overstimulated state of reactivity, after reading yet another terrible news story? How can we produce good work if our ears and eyes are always filled with other people’s ideas? How can we have any energy left to pour into our own projects if we’re spending our days fighting our digital addictions?
Making Space for Your Own Ideas
In order to write, we need to carve out a fertile space for our own thoughts. This is a foundational step, but one that many of us (myself included) tend to neglect these days. It’s crucial to remain engaged with the world and I’m not here to tell you to abandon social media completely, or to throw your smart phone in the ocean (think of the fish!); each of us has to decide for ourselves what kind of online life we want to live. But, there are some small daily steps that can help us open up more of that fertile space in our mind.
Resist co-dependency with your phone
Leave your phone out of sight when you work. I have a charging pad that I leave on the far side of my desk, so my phone is always slightly out of arm’s reach. I still look it at occasionally, but a whole lot less than if it was in a more convenient position.
Use the bathroom, take a shower, or go for a walk without your phone. This also means no audio—so many of us use music, podcasts, and audiobooks as a constant mind-filling comfort blanket. You might be surprised by the good ideas you have in these quiet, solitary moments.
Keep your device across the room (or in a different room entirely) when you sleep. I’ve found that the longer I can delay the moment that I start scrolling, the more in charge of my own mind I’ll feel that day.
Install an app like Freedom (not sponsored, obviously) which allows you to block certain apps and websites on your phone and computer. I particularly appreciate the ability to schedule regular “focus sessions” across my devices, which means I don’t have to extend any extra willpower to keep off certain apps during work hours, when I first wake up, or before bed.
Keep your hands busy
Take up or return to a simple craft.
Pick something that keeps your hands busy when you’re watching TV or, depending on the activity, on public transport, in the passenger seat, in Zoom meetings, etc. Some possibilities include: whittling, knitting, sketching, crochet, watercolour painting, origami, embroidery, colouring, darning, calligraphy, or jewelry-making.
I took up knitting (for at least the third time) at the end of 2024, and I’m already noticing positive consequences in all parts of my life. Not only am I spend less time on my phone, I’m also enjoying the wholesome joy of creating something out of nothing. So far this is really improving my sense of self-efficacy — it feels really good to watch myself produce something tangible with my hands, when the majority of my work takes place virtually and involves complex, seemingly never-ending projects (which I’m sure many other writers can relate to!). Plus, now I have a pretty scarf to wear.
There are plenty of online resources for learning these kinds of skills, and I’ve found YouTube a truly amazing resource in this area. Still, the idea of taking up a new craft might seem totally overwhelming right now. If so, you could get some of the benefits by turning to other simple activities—like folding laundry, painting your nails, or doing some stretches—in those moments when you usually turn to your phone.
