Putting your phone down takes practice. That's normal. Using a FocusRest is like using a shoe rack. At first, you have to remind yourself (Oh, right... the shoes go there!), but after a few weeks, it becomes automatic. You don't think about it anymore, you just do it. The same thing happens with your phone. You see the FocusRest, you remember—you put your phone down. Eventually, your hands know what to do before your brain does.
But building that habit is only half of it. The hardest part of putting your phone down isn't the putting-it-down part; it's the quiet that comes after. If you're used to filling every empty moment with scrolling, suddenly having space can feel... uncomfortable. Even a little lonely. That's why you need a bridge, something that feels good to do when your phone is resting. Something that doesn't require willpower, just interest, like reading.
Reading a physical book is one of the best off-ramps from digital life. It's absorbing enough to keep you engaged, but gentle enough that it doesn't feel like work. And once you find a good book, it becomes the company you were looking for. Find something that sounds interesting at your local library or bookstore. Give yourself permission to quit if it's boring. The goal isn't to finish books—it's to enjoy being off your phone.
Image: Photograph of "Digital Minimalism" by Cal Newport, opened to chapter 6.
Focus & Attention
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari (2022). This is a beautifully written, urgent, and empathetic critique of our modern life. Hari takes us inside his personal experiments with smartphone detoxing while also questioning whether this is even a personal issue.
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (2019). If you need to make an immediate change to your relationship with your phone, start here. Expertly studied, the recommendations are utterly convincing and mostly easy to implement. You can start small; it’s worth it.
Deep Work by Cal Newport (2016). Once you have a little bit of space from your phone, and you’re beginning to dream of all the things you can do, read this! It’s a classic for a reason.
Technology & Communication
The Power in Your Hands by Shannon Algeo (Pre-purchase, to be released June 2026) “A moving and inspiring book about the most important topic facing all of us.” — Johann Hari, author of Stolen Focus.
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (2024). This book is extremely important, and somewhat difficult to read. Not because of the writing style (it’s wonderful) but because it’s hard to stomach just how bad things are for kids now. Also, if you’re a parent, it might go strangely missing for weeks, as it did in our house. You may want to put a fake book jacket on it. Thanks to this book, Australia has now implemented the world's first teen social media ban.
Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman (1985). Neil Postman’s critique of television, written in the 1980s, predicted many of the issues we face today in our internet and image-soaked digital landscape. The writing style is a little old-fashioned, but it’s absolutely worth the effort.
The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin (2024, originally published in 1988 within the collection Women of Vision: Essays by Women Writing Science Fiction). Le Guin's beautiful, short essay was inspired by anthropologist Elizabeth Fisher's Carrier Bag Theory of Evolution, which argues that the first crucial human technology was not a weapon for hunting but a vessel, carrier, or container for gathering food. Le Guin expands this into the realm of storytelling, as stories are carriers of culture and asks us to question our narratives and to celebrate and carry a new vision for our culture, one that isn't based on heroic dominance and individualism. In a world of increasing fiction (AI), it feels essential to consider what we are carrying in our stories.
Rest & Imagining the Future
This part may seem off-topic, but it’s not. While we’re getting off our phones and strengthening our attention muscles, we also need to rest and restore. Give yourself time to imagine and daydream about what your life and the world would look like if smartphones were no longer ubiquitous.
Reading novels, especially Science Fiction or Fantasy, is incredibly stimulating for our inner lives and imaginations.
There are many wonderful writers, but if these genres are new to you, we recommend starting with Ursula K. Le Guin. None of these tales is too stressful or too slow to read before bed. Your subconscious and dreams will thank you.
The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin (1974)
Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (6 books in total, 1968-2001)
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969)
Other Resources
The Strother School of Radical Attention is a non-profit organization dedicated to Attention Activism, defined as "the movement to push back against the fracking of human attention by coercive digital technologies." While their organization is mostly IRL and located in Brooklyn, New York, it's worthwhile to subscribe to the newsletter so you can hear about the occasional online course or group, and to find out if a local chapter is opening near you (which we're very excited about!)
The Center for Human Technology is "a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that the most consequential technologies actually serve humanity. We bring clarity to how the tech ecosystem works in order to shift the incentives that drive it." CHT is featured in Netflix's The Social Dilemma. This is a group of people doing very good work in the world for the benefit of us all.
Your Undivided Attention Podcast From the Center for Humane Technology: "Co-hosts Tristan Harris, Aza Raskin, and Daniel Barcay explore the unprecedented power of emerging technologies: how they fit into both our lives and a humane future." This is a well-researched and thoughtfully produced Podcast about the current state of technology as it relates to the real-world impact of humane design or current lack thereof. The content is serious and generously delivered to you without nerve-wracking sound clips. The episode cadence is slow enough to ensure this doesn't just become ear filler for your workout.
Shell Game Podcast Hosted by journalist Evan Ratliff: This is our favorite serial podcast, ever. Evan’s curiosity about how to use AI leads to one helluva story. It's hilarious, astonishing, terrifying, and urgent. It's a glimpse of the future, and we all should know about it. There is just no way to listen to this and not FEEL something. It's a great show to put on in the kitchen while you cook; even better if you listen/cook with someone else. Stir the pot! Discuss!
