How to Exit the Distraction Economy
3 simple techniques for reclaiming your attention—and redirecting your life.
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!
Your alarm shouts that it’s time to start the day.
You peek at the rising sun through half-closed eyelids, raise your arms above your head, and stretch your muscles awake.
Then—like three-quarters of us—you immediately reach for your phone, probably to scroll through social media.1
And you’re off! If you fit the average, you’ll check your phone 144 times throughout the day and spend almost seven hours looking at that same screen (2+ hours on social media alone).2-3
It’s no secret: Nearly half of us are addicted to electronics.4
Add to this that we’re exposed to 4,000-10,000 ads per day, and it’s unsurprising we constantly feel overloaded with information, depressed and anxious, and unable to maintain our concentration (did you know that it takes an average of 23 minutes to fully regain your focus after an interruption?).5-7
Admittedly, technology improves our lives in a lot of ways.
But corporations also profit from diverting your attention. Thus, if you’re not mindful, it’s easy to shift from being the consumer to the consumed, wasting your life while constantly jumping from one distraction to the next.
If left unchecked, years from now, you could look back with regret at the time you wasted—and the immense opportunities you let slip through your fingers, all in service of screentime.
Instead, reclaim your awareness—and hours of your day—by using these three techniques to build better habits.
First, though, let’s quickly talk about intention.
Paying Attention to Intention: Making the Unconscious, Conscious
“Energy goes where attention flows.”
Motivational speaker Tony Robbins often uses this quote to emphasize the importance of focus and intention when achieving your goals:
If you’re attentive to your goals, you’ll achieve them.
But if you constantly allow your attention to be pulled in a thousand different directions, you won’t.
I purposely use the word “allow” here because despite how you might feel at this moment, the reality is that you can’t give away your attention without providing your express permission.
The problem, however, is that your behaviors have become so ingrained that they’re automatic.
At the emergence of the smallest discomfort (e.g., a tinge of boredom, the thought of an important upcoming meeting, recalling a tough recent conversation with a loved one, etc.), you unconsciously run from the sensation by reaching for your phone or other electronic distractions.
Consider it an ongoing contract: Any time you’re triggered, you give your electronic devices express permission to interrupt your awareness without consciously recognizing it.
Therefore, to end your automatic reactions, you must break the contract and shift from subconscious responses to conscious intentions.
Here are three simple techniques for doing just that:
3 Mindfulness Tools for Overcoming Digital Distraction
1. Avoid Your Phone After Waking Up
When you grab your phone as soon as you open your eyes in the morning, it’s too easy to slip from, “I’m just checking the weather for a few seconds,” to, “I’ve doom-scrolled social media for 15 minutes.”
When you’re distracted in this way, you immediately begin using the precious mental energy you acquired during your good night’s sleep. In addition, this energy is directionless at a time when your mind craves nothing more than to remain anchored.
Unconsciously checking your phone can also leave you unprepared for the day, and any negativity you encounter can dampen your mood, hinder creativity and productivity, and negatively impact your confidence.
Instead, to preserve your mental energy for the day, follow your standard morning routine, but avoid checking your phone.
There’s no standard time limit here—some experts recommend waiting an hour—but to ensure you stick with your new habit, start small with more manageable 10-minute increments and gradually increase from there.
2. The Pause and Breathe Technique
When you notice an impulse to check your device (or to mindlessly scroll once you already have it in hand), instead of immediately giving in, pause and:
Acknowledge the desire
Take three slow, deep breaths
Ask yourself: "What am I seeking right now? Information, connection, or distraction?"
Make a conscious choice whether to proceed, delay for 5 minutes, or choose an alternative activity
Immediately following these steps creates a buffer between your impulse and response, giving you the space to break your automatic habits.
3. Create a Digital Consumption Journal
I’m a huge fan of journaling.
Not a fan yourself? I get it.
However, regularly journaling can deliver some pretty phenomenal benefits, including reducing stress, increasing self-awareness, improving emotional regulation—and providing insights that help you exit the distraction economy.
But you don’t need to write a novel. Each time you catch yourself mindlessly scrolling, log:
The time of day
What triggered the behavior (boredom, stress, etc.)
How long you scrolled (your best estimate)
How you felt once you decided to remain present (refreshed, more anxious, neutral, etc.)
One action you can take the next time you feel the urge to scroll (breathe, read a book, exercise, pursue a hobby, etc.)
Make it a habit to review your journal weekly, identify patterns and triggers, and set specific intentions to change one pattern at a time.
Bonus: Become an Undistracted Powerhouse
You can practice these techniques individually or combine them as part of a comprehensive approach toward more mindful technology use.
Begin your day without checking your phone for at least 10 minutes after you wake up. Then, throughout the day, pay close attention to your desire to scroll, and when you catch yourself, pause, breathe, and jot down your thoughts in your journal.
You’ll be an undistracted powerhouse in no time!
Do You Want to Live a Distraction-Independent Life?
Your habits shape your identity, and your identity shapes your life.
Therefore, your distracted habit—unconsciously reaching for devices instead of sitting with your emotions or enjoying more productive, fulfilling activities—leads to a distracted life.
The good news is that you can decide when your electronics no longer define your identity or shape your life.
And the three techniques above, whether practiced by themselves or together, can help you form the necessary habits.
Great and timely post Derek, gave me a much needed mnudge to stay off the phone.
I did a variation of the journal thing that you mentioned last month. I might write an article about it because I found it really helped me become more aware of my emotional states. It enabled me to modify my behavior. I'm now spending much less time on Substack. I'm finding the time I spend is more intentional. I sometimes, I'll scroll, but it’s of a much lesser duration. I've lost some interest in Substack as I've found others things I enjoy doing more.
I found a mood chart on line with four color coded quandrants each section with words. Every couple hours I would systematically write down the adjective that best described my emotional state.
February 18th entry:
8 a.m. — TIRED, didn't sleep well last night, adrenal formula
9 a.m. — Peleton Bike Ride
10 a.m. — Post Bike Ride — SATISFIED
11:30 — Cooking Quinoa Salad — RELAXED
12:30 — Lunch - Edamame Quinoa Salad — PLEASED
130 - 3 pm — Hike — TIRED, RELAXED
5 pm — TIRED/MELLOW
7 pm — Substack — UNEASY
One example where I felt better exercising than on Substack. The cold, dark, wet months got me feeling depressed and lethargic. While I’ve found it great for connecting with others and learning new things, it hasn't helped my mood. That's the conclusion I made from first experiment with mood tracking. I’ll need to go back and revise my method. Maybe include breathing or meditation. I find it difficult to maintain vigilance around tracking — but if helps with diet too — tracking what I eat as it encourages healthy habits and healthy living.
Thanks for reminder: time for more tracking.