Coach Andrew Harrington

This year, I told myself I was going to stop procrastinating. That promise fell flat on its face. That’s when I came up with a new idea to better my life: cutting down on screen time.

Screens have become so much a part of both jobs and daily life that spending 12 hours a day between your phone, computer and television is a seemingly unbreakable routine.

I would know this better than anyone, as I have racked up screen time numbers that could show up in the Guiness Book of World Records. Is it rotting my brain? I don’t know about all that, but it still impacts quality of life every single day.

It becomes increasingly difficult to take in the small moments when you are worried about work calls, emails or scrolling social media. Picking up my phone is the first thing I do when I wake up, turning on my computer is the first thing I do when I get to work and turning on the TV is the first thing I do when I get home.

It’s my job to write articles on my computer, check my phone for calls and emails and scroll social media for community updates. There will likely never come a day where I can go off the grid and ditch the online world. What I can do is cut down on my use outside of the necessities.

The key is getting off to a strong start. With the nice weather in the coming months, I would like to take at least an hour a day to leave all technology behind and step outside alone with my thoughts. Yes, I have always gotten onto the basketball court and played church softball in the summers, but just as important as time with others is time to yourself. The two experiences provide completely different versions of mental clarity, both equally important.

The importance of mental clarity is unmatched. You are at your best in your personal life, work life and family life when you are thinking straight. Who knows, maybe this newfound life strategy can help me cut down on procrastination.

Whether it be sitting on the porch, going for a walk or anything else, I am excited to give this new mission a try.

In life, one of my biggest philosophies has always been to avoid getting stuck in mundane routines. I believe that is why I fell in love with journalism. No two days will ever be the same. Technology is probably the easiest routine to get stuck in today. Every piece of content you see is designed to maintain your attention for as long as possible. When you free yourself from the burden of fending off those intentionally time-consuming pieces of media, that hour a day to remove yourself from all devices builds up easier than you think.