Why Less Screen Time Might Be the Reset You Need

We lost power at 10pm.

No big deal, we thought. It’ll be back on soon.

And then the updates started rolling in… delays, longer timelines, more waiting.

So I set my phone aside to conserve the battery, went to bed, and woke up the next morning to a full day without electricity ahead of me.

And I had that moment.

You know the one.

“…so what do I do now?”

As someone who works on my computer all day… client work, writing, content, strategy… it’s strange how quickly you realize how much of your life depends on being plugged in.

No business tasks.
No internet rabbit holes.
No “I’ll just quickly look this up.”

Just… space.

So I did the most obvious thing I could think of. I grabbed a book. I pulled Atomic Habits by James Clear off my shelf—a book I hadn’t reread since it first came out. And honestly? I remembered very quickly why it’s stayed so popular. At its core, the idea is simple…

Twinkie enjoyed some extra nap time while I read.

Small habits shape who you become.

1% better each day compounds into something meaningful.
And the opposite? Small, repeated habits that slowly lead you somewhere you never intended to go.

One concept that really stood out to me this time around was the idea of being “in motion” vs. “in action.”

And wow… that one hit.

Because I see this all the time… in myself and in the creatives I work with.

We research.
We plan.
We organize.
We consume content.

We feel productive.

But we’re not actually moving forward.

We’re in motion… not in action.

With nothing to distract me, and only the pantry to raid for meals, I ended up reading about 180 pages.

Half the book. In one day.

I can’t even remember the last time I did that.

It felt so good to sit there, highlighter in hand, completely immersed. No notifications. No switching tabs. No background noise pulling my attention away.

Just me and the book.

After a while, I did start to go a little stir crazy, so I convinced my 16-year-old to go on a 2-mile walk with me (the lack of internet made him surprisingly will to get out of the house).

And something shifted.

My mind felt clearer.
My body felt relaxed.
I wasn’t rushing.

For a brief moment, I even caught myself thinking…

I wouldn’t mind if the power stayed off just a little longer.
(As long as the food didn’t spoil, of course.)

By the end of the day, the power came back on And almost instantly, everything snapped back into place. Everyone’s devices were lit up. Our work resumed. The noise returned.

And even now, I find myself missing that quiet.

Not the inconvenience of no power. But the simplicity. Would I want to live without electricity? Absolutely not.

But would I like to live with less screen time? Yes. Because that day reminded me of something I think we all know, but don’t always act on…

What we do in small, daily moments shapes our lives.

And maybe… just maybe… less scrolling, less noise, and more space for thinking, reading, and moving might be one of those small shifts worth making.

I’d love to hear from you!

Have you found ways to reduce screen time in your life?
Phone, TV, computer… any of it. What’s actually worked for you?

I’m genuinely curious… and maybe a little inspired to try something new.

And if this is something you’ve been craving too… next month upgraded subscribers who are inside The Alignment Edit with me will be exploring a gentle, low screen-time creative reset.

Nothing extreme. Nothing restrictive. Just small, intentional shifts to help you reconnect with your creativity without the constant pull of your devices. Those little 1% changes we make each month to create alignment with our desired future.

If that sounds like something you need, I’d love to have you join us.

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