I’ve been really tired lately. Like, lower-than-normal energy with brain fog and a dollop of burnout … by about 2 pm every day. I want to blame everything from too work, to menopause, politics, and seasonal allergies. But the truth is, I’m addicted to my smartphone (again…) and it’s taking a toll on me.
The main problems are scrolling late at night and waking up to it first thing in the morning. News, podcasts, audiobooks, social media, emails, texts, and games. It’s all just. too. much.
OMG, WHAAATT???
My latest lightbulb moment came while listening to this Mel Robbins Podcast called “How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over.” I can’t stop telling everyone I know about it.
The ‘gist is something I’ve talked about and covered for years: Your smartphone is designed to steal your time, attention, and lifeforce. The more you interact with it, the more you want it, neeeeed it— and the more money you’re making for the big-tech overlords. Self-control is useless. Our brains are wired for constant cravings and these things are fine-tuned to suck us in and keep us coming back for more.
Watch this video I did back in 2018. You would think I haven’t learned a thing. Trouble is, I’ve learned a ton. The tech industry and society in general just keeps besting me.
Dr. Alok Kanojia, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist (with another troubling story we’ll talk about later), emphasizes that our brains have a finite amount of dopamine—the neurotransmitter responsible for motivation and pleasure—available each day. Engaging with high-stimulation activities, like checking our phones first thing in the morning, can deplete this limited supply early on, leaving us feeling unmotivated and less capable of enjoying everyday tasks.
Starting the day with screen time can spike anxiety levels by up to 30%. This immediate rush of dopamine from digital interactions can make subsequent, less stimulating activities feel dull, leading to decreased productivity and satisfaction throughout the day.
The fix is a dash of "dopamine discipline"—the practice of delaying gratification to preserve our dopamine reserves for more meaningful experiences. By resisting the urge to seek instant rewards from our devices, we can enhance our capacity for focus, creativity, and genuine connection.
The real question isn’t “Can you live without a smartphone?” It’s “Are you really living with one?” — From Techish Series on Smartphone Burnout
Techish Guest Lifestyles Editor, Mike Wehner, and I are working on a series of reports around this very issue. Coming up, he takes us on his journey to hang up his smartphone (or at least give it a rest for a while) and go back in time … to get his brain back. Here’s how it starts;
“A few weeks ago, I broke up with my smartphone.
I didn’t smash it, sell it, or ceremoniously toss it in the ocean. I just... put it in a drawer. In its place, I’ve been using the $699 Light Phone III—a sleek, minimalist rectangle that makes calls, sends texts, and does very little else.
Mike Wehner checks his Lightphone III during a walk to clear his mind last week. Credit: Mike Wehner, Techish
There’s no social media. No email. No app store whispering, “Maybe try just one more game?” Instead, this so-called “dumb” phone offers just enough to be useful—GPS, music (but only the kind you manually upload), a calculator—but not enough to hijack your attention 117 times a day — which adds up 20 years of your life … staring at a screen making someone else rich.
I didn’t do this as a stunt or a cleanse or a Luddite performance piece. I did it because I was tired. Tired of needing my phone everywhere—in bed, in the bathroom, at dinner, in meetings, and even during walks that were supposed to help me escape my tech addiction. The dopamine loops had become exhausting.”
His full story posts on Monday, April 21. (It’s such a good read…5-stars.) Do you feel more or less addicted to your phone these days? What are you doing about it? Be sure to drop us a line and let’s talk about it!
A study from Harvard found that excessive smartphone use LITERALLY rewires our brains, impacting memory, impulse control, and—you guessed it—attention spans.
Remember when we could watch a full movie without picking up our phones five times? Yeah, me neither.
Five Smart Ways to Reclaim Your Brain/Life
Let’s face it: our phones are the digital equivalent of an all-you-can-eat dopamine-dessert buffet. Delicious, yes. Nutritious? Not so much. But here’s how I’m slowly rewiring my brain to stop reaching for my phone like it’s a lifeline—and you can too:
1. Flip Your Phone to Gray
Color is catnip for your brain. Switch your screen to grayscale and suddenly Instagram looks like a 1940s film noir. Less dopamine, fewer distractions.
iPhone: Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters > Grayscale
Android: Settings > Digital Wellbeing > Bedtime Mode > Grayscale
This is the photo I used for my USA Today story back in 2018. Switching to grayscale still makes your phone really boring…in a good way.
2. Banish Your Phone From Bedroom
According to Dr. K (aka that Harvard-trained psychiatrist who’s TikTok-famous for a reason), checking your phone first thing in the morning spikes anxiety by up to 30%.
Thirty percent! Before you’ve even peed!
Like Mel Robbins, I’ve moved my phone to my bathroom. Still close enough to hear an emergency call, but far enough not to look at it right before I go to bed or within seconds of waking up.
I still use it as an alarm clock too, which is great, because I HAVE to get out of bed to turn it off.
3. Lock It Down With Apps That Fight Back
If your willpower’s on life support, use tech to tame … erm … tech too.
My go-tos:
Freedom – Blocks apps and sites across all devices. You’re in charge.
Forest – Stay off your phone, grow a virtual tree. Stay off longer? Build a forest. Weirdly satisfying.
AppBlock – Customize what to block and when. Great for work mode.
Screen Time (iOS) / Digital Wellbeing (Android) – Eye-opening stats on how many hours you're donating to TikTok. Set limits. Cry. Repeat.
Focus Mode (iPhone) – Tap that crescent moon in Control Center to silence the noise. Trust me, your group texts can wait.
4. Make “No Phone Zones” Sacred
For me, it’s the dinner table, bedtime, and daily conversations with my husband (such a novelty!) Bathroom? Still working on that one. (Let’s be real—we all do it…)
If you simply cannot put your down, get a smartphone lockbox with a timer. Aka: phone jail. I’ve reviewed several, including the kSafe. None of them are perfect, but they for sure help with discipline, especially at family dinners.
Or, you can just put it in another room as far away as possible. Out of site, out of mind really helps.
5. Hack Your Habits with Visual Cues
This one sounds silly, but it works: I slapped a Post-it on my phone that says, “NOT NOW.” I’ve also wrapped a rubber band around it. Any small bit of friction can break the spell and remind me to be a human again. It’s dumb. It’s brilliant. It works.
I’ve been writing about healthier relationships with our smartphones since 2014. More articles loaded with useful takeaways: (and yes, it’s true, you teach best what you most need to learn…)
Instagram just dropped a new Reels sharing feature called "Blend,” and I was among the first to test it out before it hit the market.
It creates a private, curated feed of Reels based on what you and your friends are into. It’s part shared discovery, part algorithmic intimacy experiment, and part weird voyeuristic experiment. It’s like peeking at someone’s diary, except that diary is full of dog videos, conspiracy-theory cooking tips, and a disturbing number of people whispering into microphones. But the voyeurism is mutual. And opt-in. Dying to know what you think of it…
We Put the Newest Robot Lawn Mowers to the Ultimate Grass-Kicking Test
We Pit the Hottest E-Bikes Against Each Other in a Race to the Recharge" ⚡🚴♀️⚡
Spoiler: Only one had enough juice to outrun traffic and my dog on a leash.
Mother’s Day Tech That’ll Make You the Favorite Child — Even If You Already Are 💐
Ditch the wilted flowers and scented candle reruns. We round up the best, most practical, and yes, “gadget-y” gifts that say, “I love you AND I know how to use the internet.”
Today Show Alert: Got a Great Gadget That’ll Wow America? Send It My Way!"
I’m back on The Today ShowMay 9th and on the hunt for surprising, funny, or just plain awesome gadgets that connect to WiFi — think under $100, solves a real problem, and makes people say, “Wait, that exists?!” Example: the iKettle. Now give me your version of that.
📧 Pitch it to me at jj@techish.com with TODAY SHOW WIFI in the subject line. 🛒 Include a link, price, photo, and one-liner on why it’s great.
No marketing fluff. Just the goods. Yes, you’ll need to send me one to test. And if picked? You’ll also send a few to Studio 1A. Follow up once or twice. More than that? That’s just creepy.
🚨Coming Up🚨
My Next Today Show Segment — Summer Adventure Tech!
Mark your calendar: June 10th, it’s all about fun-in-the-sun gadgets, gear, and apps. If it makes summer more epic, easier, or TV-worthy, I want to know about it. 📅 Deadline: End of May (sooner is better). ☀️ Think: outdoorsy, adventurous, eye-catching, demo-friendly. Same rules as above: pitch via email, send one for testing, and no fluff allowed. Ready, set, summer.
📧 Pitch it to me at jj@techish.com with TODAY SHOW SUMMER TECH in the subject line. 🛒 Include a link, price, photo, and one-liner on why it’s great.
TALK WITH ME LIVE!
I’m committing to more time with you. From now on, at least once a week, I’ll jump on Substack Live to tell you what I’m working on or thinking about and answer your questions. You know what that means? We need to connect!
Be sure to keep an eye out for when and where, and leave a comment here on Substack Chat:
Also? Email, text, or leave a comment @JennJolly on Instagram. (PLEASE follow me there too!) I try to jump back and forth to Facebook too, but I’m maxed out on friends on my personal account, so be sure to reach out on my “official” account.
We have some incredible content coming up around eyeball scanners that register your human-ness…what could possibly go wrong? 👁️✨🌀
Techish 2.0 is just getting started, party people! 🕺💃🪩✨
