‘I’m back!’: How Guardian readers reclaimed their brains and cut their screen times by 40%

By Liam On Mar 19, 2024

It’s almost three months since The Guardian launched the Reclaim your brain newsletter: a free five-week email coaching plan for anyone who wants to spend less time on their phone.

Since then, more than 100,000 readers have signed up, making it the fastest growing newsletter we’ve ever launched. (If you haven’t already, you can subscribe to Reclaim your brain at any time – you’ll still get the same weekly plan as everyone else.)

So far, the feedback we’ve received from readers has been overwhelmingly positive, with many saying they sleep better, feel less anxious, read more, pursue new hobbies, and pay more attention to their children.

Nearly 250 of you contacted us about your progress after we sent out a completion survey. This is what you told us:

Overall, readers have reduced their screen time by almost 40%

We asked subscribers to tell us how many hours per day they spent on their phone before and after completing the Reclaim your brain coaching plan.

The result? They reduced their combined screen time by 38%, saving nearly 127,000 hours every year.

“It feels like a fog has lifted, and for the first time in years I can justify every moment of my day – not a single moment has I spent mindlessly scrolling,” Felipe said in Northern Ireland. “I started reading more, watching more films and cooking more, which is a great success with my wife!”

Some subscribers saw huge drops in their screen time

While the average reduction in screen time was 38%, some Reclaim your brain subscribers went even further.

Hussain Ali, a 45-year-old reader from London, says he spent nine hours a day on his phone before signing up. He has now managed to reduce his daily screen time to just two hours. “I think this was exactly the kickstart I needed,” he said. “I now feel like there is time in the evenings and on weekends to do something instead of scrolling for two or three hours wondering where the time went.”

Meanwhile, a project manager in Boston (who asked to remain anonymous) went from spending more than 10 hours a day on the phone to three. “I feel much happier – some days are only 2.5 hours long and I notice a difference in my mood, perception of free time I have, and intention,” she said.

“I read more books, do more chores and sleep better. I pay more attention to the things I should be doing, whether that’s watching TV, eating or contributing to meetings.”

Many now have more time for their hobbies

Charlotte Conlin, a subscriber from Oregon who describes herself as “a retired woman in her 60s who is a passionate knitter, crazy cat mom and failed domestic diva,” says she now has more time for her favorite activities after cutting her seven hours of screen time. per day up to four.

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“I was shocked to see how many hours I spent on my ‘caressing plate,’ as my husband likes to call it,” she said. “I had no idea how much time I had wasted. But now I have more time for knitting and crafting. I am having fully present conversations with my partner and I am slowly regaining my focus and clarity.”

Charlotte also says she has rediscovered the joy of doing nothing. “I’m starting to enjoy something I used to do before smartphones; sitting and staring out the window, letting my mind wander and daydream. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me get my life and my time back.”

Meanwhile, Annemarie, a 29-year-old PhD student in Germany, says she went from spending three hours a day on her phone to one hour. “I practiced, played the piano and did nothing — like literally doing nothing,” she said. “I feel much better, less dependent on my phone and more in control of my life.”

Guardian writer Rhik Samadder’s diary on quitting has helped one reader in particular

Rhik’s diary, included at the end of each Reclaim your brain email, provided some much-needed inspiration for one reader. In week one, Rhik despairs over his phone and calls him the “thief of his life”. This resonated with Melissa Griffin, a 53-year-old student from Australia, who was able to reduce her screen time from eight to two hours a day thanks to such “existential questions.”

“No more thief of my life!” she wrote. “I am more present with the people in my life. I make choices instead of blaming the phone for my habits. I can now studying – that was my goal. Academic reading is possible! I was afraid my attention span had been destroyed by my phone. Reading Rhik Samadder’s weekly reports was a wonderful part of this series. I gained so much more than just being able to do my academic reading and assessments. I’m back!”

Subscribers reported feeling less anxious

“I think spending less time on my phone has also alleviated my anxiety,” wrote Birgit, a 22-year-old law student from Vienna, who cut her screen time from eight hours a day to three. “I feel like it was at its worst, scrolling and wanting to stop but feeling like I can’t. Plus, not always seeing everyone on Instagram presenting the best version of their lives isn’t always good for my mental health.”

Victoria, a subscriber from Scotland, experienced similar benefits. “I feel less anxious about my phone use and no longer carry it with me all the time,” they said. “I no longer have it in the bedroom and don’t use it as an alarm clock. I feel in control of my phone use: I use it for work, but I don’t get caught up in mindless scrolling.”

“What surprises me most is the amount I spent on my phone before,” wrote Panu Huotari, a 44-year-old subscriber from Finland, who cut his screen time from five hours a day to one. “Time with my children is now really time with them, where I am present and not constantly looking at what is happening somewhere else. I’ve been going out more, having better conversations with people and feeling much more inspired, happier, more loving and caring.”

Meanwhile, Kieran Healy, a Vancouver construction manager in his 40s, said: “I can relate to my son more. It’s easier for me to get out of bed in the morning. My battery lasts all day – before I had to fully charge all day!”

One reader replaced her screen time with a different kind of tweeting

Shelly, a 46-year-old subscriber from near Stroud in Britain, has halved her daily screen time from four to two hours, and says she has managed to find a pleasant replacement in some feathered houseguests. “I started feeding the birds from my kitchen window around the time I signed up for the coaching newsletter,” she said. “Having never fed the birds before, I was surprised by the amount of joy the little winged visitors bring – and compare the joy to the same dopamine hit of a ‘like’ on social media.

“Now I wait with anticipation for the birds to get my brain boost. I love it. I definitely also spend more time with my daughter, completely focused and not on my phone, it has been very rewarding.”

Did you complete the newsletter and experience a bigger drop in your screen time? Let us know by completing our survey here.