I am sick of being constantly online. Sick of it. I love my stupid phone, and I hate my stupid phone. And I know that my phone is making me miserable, and I’m addicted to it.

You’re probably addicted, too, if we’re all being honest.

And so, I’m trying to change. Deliberately.

When I finally decided to live life just a little less online, the first thing I had to do was figure out HOW. Everything is online. Everything.

I knew that cutting technology cold turkey wasn’t going to be successful. I’d lose access to everything important. I wouldn’t hear updates about school and my kids’ activities. I wouldn’t even be able to look for work. Where was I going to look for new gigs? The newspaper? The newspaper doesn’t even exist in my town anymore.

And to be clear, it wasn’t technology that was the problem anyway. It was the constant connectivity. Social media, constant internet. You know all too well…

So, of course, I flailed for a few days trying to figure it out. Anything that I tried, I either quit immediately, or it didn’t have the impact I was hoping for.

Finally, I tried this one thing. And it gave me the tiniest push forward. Just enough to keep me going.

Ready for the magic? I didn’t reach for my phone first thing in the morning.

I know, groundbreaking, am I right? It’s so simple, but so damn hard to do.

I started as small as I could. When my phone’s alarm went off, I turned it off, checked the time, and put it back down.

I didn’t allow any scrolling. I didn’t open social media. I didn’t read emails or the news. I turned off the alarm and set the phone back down.

In an extremely embarrassing admission, this one thing was really hard.

But I’m not alone. Over 44% of Americans report reaching for their phone AND SCROLLING within ten minutes of waking up. Approximately 80% check their phones within 15 minutes of waking.

I don’t know about you, but those statistics make me sad.

And when I tried this little endeavor, I found that changing the statistics wouldn’t be easy, especially on a large scale.

For me, I was constantly opening social media first thing in the morning only to close it again. I would find myself mindlessly scrolling and then remind myself of the deal. It was an addiction, a habit that was far more ingrained than I liked to admit.

But I kept at it. I still have to “keep at it,” because it’s such a part of what we do.

You might be wondering, what the heck do you do instead? I’ll tell you:

• I read a book for a few minutes.
• I do a word search (Mine is Snoopy themed!).
• I work on a crossword puzzle.
• I journal in a prayer journal/gratitude journal.
• I write a page of streaming consciousness.
• I sit in my rocking chair with a hot cup of coffee.

And to my surprise, these things are extremely satisfying. They wake me up, but much more quietly and calmly than my phone. I don’t feel as stressed or as stimulated. It’s still hard sometimes, but it’s more than worth it.

And research backs this up. Early morning scrolling reduces productivity and builds feelings of negativity. We’re literally starting our days off on the wrong foot — every single day. Because of phone addiction.

Insane.

But you can change it, and I highly encourage you to try.

Take one step: Don’t use the phone first thing in the morning.

It’s hard. It’s worth it. Good luck.