So years ago, over Christmas break, I decided to delete every app off my phone except for four.

The phone, obviously, texting, the camera, and maps.

That's it.

No email, no social media, no news, nothing that had a feed, no notification badges, obviously other than if someone called or texted.

I called it my 21-day internet break, and I want to tell you what happened, because I think

it's relevant to almost every single one of us. The first couple days were weird. I'd pull out

my phone to do a thing, look at the home screen, and realize there was nothing there to look at. So I just

put it back in my pocket. By about day five, I noticed I was less fidgety, and by day 10,

I was less distracted. And at the end of the three weeks, I felt like I had my brain back.

Not a different brain, just my brain. Steppier, quieter,

less busy when I wasn't doing anything. I'm Eric Fisher, and this is beyond the to-do list, a podcast

about productivity. And today I want to talk about taking a break from constant digital stimulus, not just social media,

but the always on world that we've built or has been built around us and how to actually do it

without making it weird or preachy or impossible. And I know you don't need another put your

phone down episode, but that's not what this is.

First, a story about how we ended up here, what the research actually says about what

constant stimulus is doing to us and try not to be too alarmist about it.

Then I want to expand the conversation past social media because again, I think we're

underestimating how much productive stimulus email, slack, the news is doing the same as social

media. Then I'm going to give you a five-level detox ladder so you can pick where you want to start and then we'll close with a healthy

framework, a parenting note and one very specific piece of information or advice that has actual

research behind it. So here's the thing about how we got here. I don't think most of us sat down

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