I feel the need to say ‘hello’ or something before just jumping into my blog post since it has been eons since I last wrote anything. So, “Hello!” Welcome back to my life.

I have become increasingly aware of my addiction to screens the last couple of years. It has eaten up hours and hours of my time, became an avoidance method when I was depressed or otherwise emotionally distressed, and has also given me eye strain and tension headaches (the latter occurring most prominently after extended binge watching). For all of the above reasons and also because I have recently become much more committed to living out my Buddhist philosophy, I determined a couple of months ago that one of the most beneficial things I could do for my mental health (not to mention other areas of life) would be to challenge myself to a month-long screen fast.

This is not a decision I made lightly. TV, youtube, and surfing the web had become my safety blanket. It was what I defaulted to when I became overwhelmed with life or myself. I knew stopping an addiction this massive cold-turkey might cause more harm than good. So, I have been slowly weaning myself off since October, with longer and longer times between viewings, as well as shorter viewing periods, all corresponding to a predetermined schedule. It has been a bumpy road, but I have slowly built upon small successes and am finally ready to take the plunge.

January 13th is the 1st day of the 11th luni-solar month. My challenge will start then and continue until the next new moon day. Here are the specific parameters I will need to follow:

• NO media. Absolutely NO watching of any media (TV shows, movies, youtube, etc.) whether by myself or with others.
• Severely restricted general usage. Only using computer for checking email 2x/day, weekly blogging, PAT research, and searches/tasks related to financial purposes.
• Time-locked engagement. Never using the computer for MORE than 10 minutes at a time.
• Restricted phone usage. Only using phone for calls, alarms, sleeping podcasts, and unforeseen “emergencies.”
• Time-locked communication. Having ALL calls be under 30 minutes in length.
• Use non-screen sources for music.  This can be CD’s, radio, or just me creating beautiful sounds on the piano and violin.

If you read this and empathize with my struggle, I would greatly appreciate a short email, phone call, or even better, a physical letter during this time validating my experience and perhaps sharing about a struggle you are facing in your own life if you are comfortable doing so.

Namaste.