February 2025 

Phone Fasting: What Is It, and How Does It Impact Our Health and Wellbeing?

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As I sit here writing this blog, I’ve made a conscious decision to put my phone out of reach. This way, I can truly focus and attempt to do one task without being distracted by the constant barrage of notifications pinging through non-stop!

Let’s be realistic—phones are a HUGE part of our lives, for both positive and negative reasons. As a business owner and mum, spending time on my phone is essential. Whether it’s organising school or hobby activities, replying to clients, checking the kids’ homework, managing online banking, doing the food shop, or marketing my business on social media, my phone is indispensable. The number of apps, constant messages, online shopping orders—it's a LOT! On top of all that, there’s the urge to check social media (just to take a quick look) and suddenly, you’re trapped in a loop of scrolling through random posts. It’s not only overwhelming, but it’s addictive, which can have a significant impact on our health and wellbeing.

As a mum of teenagers (who also have phones), I’m all too familiar with teenage phone culture! I started to realise that, while I’d get frustrated with how much time the kids spent on their phones, I wasn’t exactly setting the best example. Even though my phone use might differ from theirs, I had to ask myself: Do I really need to be using it so much? This question led me to reflect and make some small but manageable changes.

For example, when the kids come to speak to me, I make sure to put my phone down immediately and focus on what they’re saying, instead of trying to finish the food shop while having a conversation. If I’m working on something urgent, I’ll tell them, “Give me two minutes to finish this, then I’ll give you my full attention.”

I also don’t bring my phone down first thing in the morning, and I stop using it an hour before bed. The morning routine is already chaotic enough, and if my phone is within reach, there’s a natural urge to check it. Do I really need to check my work emails at 6am? No! Is it necessary or healthy to scroll social media first thing in the morning or right before bed? Absolutely not.

 

When we have family time, we try to establish ‘no phone’ zones. If we’re watching a movie together, we all put our phones down and agree not to use them. The kids actually love this and will scold us parents if we break the rule!

 

So, what exactly is phone fasting? It’s not about giving up your phone completely or never using it again. It’s about setting your own small rules around usage—when, where, and how much you use it. The key is being mindful of what’s healthy and when you might need to set boundaries to improve your wellbeing and that of your family. (And remember there is no right or wrong and there will be ups and downs so don't aim for perfection here, just small, consistent (where possible) changes).

 

The best part about this is that there’s a lot of science behind how making positive changes to our phone habits can boost our brain chemicals! This blog was inspired by the book The Dose Effect by TJ Power, which I’m currently reading. For anyone interested in learning more about how to boost Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins, it’s an easy and fascinating read!

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Give it a try and see how it impacts energy levels, mood, sleep patterns, food cravings, decision making, concentration and focus…yep the list of benefits is endless!!

 

Let me know if you’ve already made phone habit changes at home or if this blog has inspired you to make some small changes, I would love to know how you get on.