I confess. I’ve got an addiction. It’s taken me ages to admit it. My drug of choice? Books. Yeah, I know, it’s a pretty wholesome addiction, but it’s an addiction nonetheless.
Why did it take me so long to own up to it? Because I was blindsided by it. I gravitated towards books whenever I had a spare moment or even when I didn’t. It felt like the right thing to do, you know? Learning something new and expanding my mind is a win-win.
But here’s the kicker: I spent all my waking hours lost in books, living in my head instead of in the real world. Reading became my escape, a way to dodge life’s challenges. I was getting by, but I wasn’t living, just existing.
So, how do you know when you’re addicted to something? When it starts messing with your life, that’s how. When you’re skipping meals or neglecting your loved ones because you can’t tear yourself away from your addiction – that’s a problem.
You could swap out “reading” for anything – TikTok, Instagram, heck, even smoking – and the story would be the same.
But there comes a point when you have to make a choice. For me, that moment came when I decided enough was enough. I took matters into my own hands and hit delete on all my social media apps, along with the Kindle app on my phone—cold turkey.
On May 24th, 2023, I made a pact with myself: no social media, no reading on my phone for 30 days. And let me tell you, it wasn’t easy.
The first morning, I felt proud of myself. I threw myself into work, fully immersed. But by evening, withdrawal hit hard. I was itching to scroll through Twitter, watch a YouTube video, or dive into a good book. My mind played tricks on me, urging me to break my rules.
But I stood firm. I knew I needed a game plan to keep myself on track, so I turned to my trusty iPhone and discovered the Reminders app. I started jotting down all my daily tasks, big and small, to keep myself accountable.
As the days went by, I stuck to my guns. And you know what? Something amazing happened. I built a fully functional task management system that helped me prioritize my time and focus on what mattered.
Now, I won’t lie – breaking free from my addiction wasn’t a walk in the park. But it was worth it. I made some changes: I limited my social media use, saved YouTube for educational purposes only, and reserved reading for bedtime.
And you know what else? I’ve added a new holiday to my calendar: Freedom Day, celebrated every 24th of the month – the day I kicked my addiction to the curb.
Summary
In summary, addiction sucks. But for me, a 30-day detox was a game-changer. It gave me the clarity and discipline to regain control of my life.
Now it’s your turn.
So, if you’re battling your demons – whether it’s smoking, binge-watching Netflix, or endlessly scrolling through Instagram – why not give a 30-day detox a shot? You might surprise yourself.
