How 24 hours Without Screens Could Reboot Your Entire Life
Discover what happens when you trade pixels for passion
This Week’s Courage Newsletter
"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you" - Anne Lamott
Why your phone might be stealing your best life moments
Scare Your Soul Challenge: The Digital Detox (warning: may cause unexpected joy)
Bottom line: Sometimes we need to disconnect to truly reconnect
Last week, I had an embarrassing moment.
I was sitting at Heartwood Coffee, supposedly having a "meaningful conversation" with a really close friend, when I realized I'd just asked her to repeat the same story three times.
Why?
Because I was too busy checking my "urgent" email (spoiler alert: nothing is ever as urgent as we think).
The look on her face said it all: "Scott, are you even here right now?"
The truth?
I wasn't.
Not really.
Like many of us, I'd become a digital zombie - physically present but mentally scrolling through an endless feed of other people's lives while my own life was happening right in front of me.
That's when I decided to do something radical: I turned off my phone for 24 hours.
No email.
No social media.
No Google Maps to tell me where to go.
(Okay, I did get lost twice, but that's another story!)
The first few hours were... interesting. My hand kept reaching for my pocket like a phantom limb. I caught myself trying to Google "how to survive without Google" (the irony was not lost on me).
But then something magical happened.
I noticed things.
Real things.
The way the barista's eyes crinkled when she really smiled. The sound of my neighbor's wind chimes I'd somehow never heard before.
I had actual, uninterrupted conversations.
Made eye contact.
Laughed without feeling the need to document it on Instagram.
And you know what? The world didn't end. No one died because I took 12 hours to respond to their message.
The "urgent" emails sorted themselves out.
Instead, I got something priceless: my attention span back.
Here's what I learned from my 24 hours of digital detox:
We check our phones 96 times a day (that's once every 10 minutes!)
Real-life has better resolution than any screen
Being unreachable is oddly liberating
Boredom can lead to brilliance
Memory works better when we're not trying to capture everything digitally
This Week's Scare Your Soul Challenge: Your Passion-Fueled, Screen-Free Evening
Your mission this week (should you choose to accept it):
Pick your digital detox day (maybe not when you're expecting an important call)
Alert your people (yes, they'll survive without you)
Turn OFF your devices (airplane mode doesn't count)
Notice everything (the good, the uncomfortable, the surprising)
Write down what you discover (with an actual pen!)
Need some screen-free activity ideas?
Read that book that's been collecting dust
Have a conversation without checking your phone
Get lost in your neighborhood (literally - it's surprisingly fun)
Write a letter (remember those?)
Just... be
Will you feel twitchy? Probably.
Will you survive? Definitely.
Will you discover something amazing?
I'm betting yes.
Remember, courage isn't just about doing big, scary things. Sometimes it's about letting go of what feels safe (hello, scroll addiction) to make space for what's real.
With courage, clarity, and zero notification pings,
P.S. When you return to the digital world, share your experience in the comments. What did you discover in your 24 hours of presence?
P.P.S. Our global workplace courage survey is still ongoing. It takes just 3 minutes, and we'd love your input on what makes a brave workplace. Feel free to fill it out... after your digital detox, of course! Here’s the link.