Hey everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Monday Break(Through).
Last week, I challenged you - and I challenged myself - to break our phone habits. I don’t know about you, but my screen time charts look way, way different now. If you remember, two weeks ago my average use of Instagram was above two hours. This past week, I actually limited the app to 30 minutes a day.
After those 30 minutes, it would black out. That really made me mindful of how I use it - how much time I spend on business use, replying to comments, connecting, and getting useful feedback. And you know what? Sometimes those 30 minutes weren’t enough. There were two or three times I couldn’t reply to comments until just after midnight. And guess what? Nothing changed.
The time limit had no negative effect on engagement - no drop in likes or shares. This proves I was definitely wasting a lot of time mindlessly scrolling. And looking at those numbers, it made me wonder: what else am I doing that doesn’t serve me or my business? Are there other habits I could reduce to free up time for what I truly love?
Of course, it’s not realistic to measure every single second of our days. But there are definitely things that pop into my mind. One of them? I spend too much time checking email.
I think it’s a habit I developed 10 or 15 years ago when I ran my agency. Back then, replying to client emails immediately was crucial. And I’m not bragging, but that strategy worked - I once secured a project within 30 to 45 minutes of the first email. I’d respond instantly, chat with the client right away, and they’d make a deposit within the hour.
But that’s not what I do anymore.
I don’t have client projects now. I rarely get support emails about my fonts. Honestly, there’s no reason to check my inbox 72 times a day. And starting today, I’m stopping that.
I’ll set three time slots each day to check email - and the rest of the time, the inbox stays closed. Let’s see how that goes over the next week.
But I’m not doing this just to save a few minutes or squeeze in more work. I believe being mindful about our time can create a huge shift in both our personal and professional lives. When we reduce distractions, we reduce stress. And with less stress, we can feel calmer and actually enjoy what we’re doing - whether that’s lounging at the beach, hanging out with friends, hiking, or working on a project.
Our thoughts stop wandering. We become more focused. We find joy in both work and rest.
So - how are you going to challenge yourself this week?
Let me know in the comments on the podcast or on The Type Convo Instagram page.
And I have a small announcement: this Wednesday at 8 PM CET (7 PM UK time), I’m going live on The Type Convo Instagram page with the amazing illustrator Ian Barnard. We’ll be talking about his creative journey, personal life, and all the lessons he’s learned along the way.
I’d love for you to join us, ask questions, and tune into what will be a really insightful and inspiring chat.
See you on Wednesday on Instagram - and I’ll see you back here next week for another episode of Monday Break(Through).
Until then, stay creative, stay curious, and keep the convo going.