How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life
From Goodreads:
Is your phone the first thing you reach for in the morning and the last thing you touch before bed? Do you frequently pick it up “just to check,” only to look up forty-five minutes later wondering where the time has gone? Do you say you want to spend less time on your phone–but have no idea how to do so without giving it up completely? If so, this book is your solution.Award-winning journalist Catherine Price presents a practical, hands-on plan to break up–and then make up–with your phone. The goal? A long-term relationship that actually feels good. You’ll discover how phones and apps are designed to be addictive, and learn how the time we spend on them damages our abilities to focus, think deeply, and form new memories. You’ll then make customized changes to your settings, apps, environment, and mindset that will ultimately enable you to take back control of your life.
My thoughts on this book:
Feeling bored or anxious? Check your email. Nothing there? Check social media. Not satisfied? Check a different social media account. And then maybe another one. Like a couple posts. Follow some new people. Check to see if those people followed you back. Maybe go look at your email again, just in case.
Sound familiar?
As soon as I saw this book I knew I had to grab it. I’ve known for quite some time that my phone takes too much attention away from my life, but getting to a healthy balance has always been an issue. As soon as I began reading just the first few pages, my eyes were wide and glued. I’m one of those people who usually have my phone in hand right before sleep and it’s the first thing I grab in the morning. Can I live without my smartphone? Hmm…
This book is split into two parts. Part 1 helps you evaluate your phone usage now and how many of us could use a digital detox. The author discusses why our phones are so addicting, the dangers of social media and how it’s depressing us, how our phones are changing our brains and killing our attention spans, memory, sleep, and our lives in general. One statement in the book that really hit me discusses time and how much time we lose because of our smartphones. Not only that, it’s brings attention to how fast time seems to fly while we’re on our smartphones. This is something I’ve noticed. Has anyone else experienced this?
Each chapter shares a quote, Most of which are thought-provoking. Many of the quotes just reiterate things we already know but choose to ignore.
Even more than it is in the advertising business, Facebook is in the surveillance business. Facebook, in fact, is the biggest surveillance-based enterprise in the history of mankind. It knows far, far more about you than the most intrusive government has ever known about its citizens. – John Lanchester.
Part 2 is the 30-day plan which teaches you how to end your dysfunctional relationship with your phone. It’s chock-full of tips and also includes a list of recommended resources to aid you on your journey.
Now, before you get your panties in a bunch, this book ISN’T against smartphones, in fact, it’s written to help us use our phones in a more healthful manner. The author mentions more than once that smartphones are convenient tools, and she teaches us that rather than throw out the good with the bad, just find a healthy balance.
5*****
Find this book on Goodreads and Amazon:
- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Ten Speed Press (February 13, 2018)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 039958112X
- ISBN-13: 978-0399581120
Thanks for reading my review! Feel free to share comments below if you’d like to share your thoughts. 🙂
ReadRantRock&Roll 
I so don’t want to admit I need this but I may very well need to use some of these tips. I use my phone so much for work but also for recreational reading though. I need to find a way to balance that. Thanks for this review! 😊 It’s good to point out that this is not a ‘phones are evil’ book. Lol
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I think there are some definite helpful tips. I too use mine for Audible! It’s so convenient. I think the author is talking more about using social media and email, texting, etc. Does Goodreads count? LOL I’m on there so much. Yeah, she explains in the book that smartphones are good tools, it’s just that we become addicted to some of the wrong apps, etc. It’s worth a read! 🙂
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I think so. I just spent a few hours without my phone. Took our boys to a beach. It was hard to resist for the photos. Lol. But I kept remembering your post and decided to just be. Was nice.
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Aww, how fun! But see, to me photos shouldn’t count at all. I’ve come to the conclusion that for me, it’s mainly the social media I have an issue with. Plus the constant checking everything and the FOMO. Lol. I think I’ve done better today. Kudos for trying to limit yourself! I feel like this is a serious wake-up for me. I suppose it can’t hurt anyone to try really. 😁❤ Hugs
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😊😊 I agree. The photos are nice. For today I didn’t want to get worried about ‘safeguarding’ the phone! Lol.
I know what you mean about the social media 😬
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I could see this being a best seller! My youngest son definitely needs a copy.
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Yeah, it’s a really thought-provoking book and worth a try. I was laughing about it with my oldest son last night and he was telling me how he’s not addicted to his phone, but I know that he is. He’s 18 now and has had a smartphone for some time. It seems to be a way of life these days. 🙂
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I think I need a copy of this book 🙈 Now that I am blogging more, I feel like I’m on it 24/7. Haha. Great review! I’ll definitely look into it.
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LOL I know what you mean, Jessica. Let me know your thoughts if you read it. ❤
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Oooo, I might need to get this for my husband. He’s convinced he has a healthy relationship with his phone, but I often find him “just checking” it. It couldn’t hurt me either though.
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It’s worth a shot. I was hoping to get my husband to read it, but I don’t think he’s ready yet haha. ❤ Good luck!
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Did it work? Are you using your smartphone less? I know I need this book but I am still in denial haha so I won’t be picking it up because I don’t want to know! Good review tho!
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I’m working on it now, and I believe it will work. I feel like Goodreads is my main issue, but I have to be on there lol. I love it too much. Guess we’ll see and I’ll let you know! Thank you. ❤ 😀
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Such a good post! Went to visit with my son’s family a few weekends ago and my 9 year old grandson had his own smartphone and his mom was complaining that he already went way over his data allowance for the month and had been using the phone for only one week. Lol. It is totally a way of life now. I can remember when there were no cell phones. How did we ever manage! 😮
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That is too funny! I guess it’s all about the data haha. I can still remember getting my first cell phone after high school. How did we ever live without them? I agree LOL ❤
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Like a twelve-step program, you gotta be of a mind to quit–or change–or put the thing down. I’m not there yet, and I maintain I use my laptop more as I spend a lot of time on PS (photoshop) for graphics. Some things I just can’t get the phone to do.
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Very true! It’s easier than I thought with email, but Goodreads will be hard. To me, screen time in general is high in our house, but a lot of my children do their school work on our computer or tablets so…what do you do. 😁💖
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Eek. Adding the blog has definitely increased my phone time. This is a good reminder though. I am going to have to find a balance. Big hugs to my favorite, M. Xo 😘
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It totally does! For me it’s mainly GR and WP, plus occasionally Twitter. It’s insane keeping up with everything. I could EASILY be on my phone all day, but had to quit. It’s like I enjoy it, but maybe too much and then so much time is gone. Hmm. 🤔 Guess we’ll see how it goes. 💖💜💖
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I’ve not read it, but I know a couple people who have read a similar book!! I would say I do okay, but believe me….there’s always room for improvement!!
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I think its worth checking out for the tips alone even for people who aren’t totally addicted. There are great tips and resources! I agree. 💜😉
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I think I should get this for my kids. I am not a big phone user, in fact I often let mine die.
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LOL 😂 I can relate, but mine dies from overuse. 🤣 Sometimes I think smartphones have just added stress to my life, but then other times they can be so useful too. I know I can’t totally live without it and just need balance. Take care, Carla. 💜
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To the first 3 questions – YES, YES AND YES! It is such a habit to reach for my phone first thing and right before bed. We instantly reach for our devices when there’s notifications ring and when you think you will spend jsut a few minutes to look at one post on social media, you end up spending an hour on your phone. Thank you for this blog post Mischenko! ‘How To Break Up With Yout Phone’ is definitely a must-read. I will share this with my audience (Unplug).
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Thank you! I hope it helps. Let me know your thoughts when you read it! 🧡
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