Low Screen Time for a Slower, Happier Life

Slow living (or mindfulness, peace, calm - call it what feels right for you) is not a destination but a journey. Some people might have a naturally calmer, more relaxed lifestyle; for others, the day might be a blur of faces, events, thoughts, and feelings. But one thing is certain for everyone - life flows. Ups and downs, different seasons, stages of life, luck, accidents. No one can claim to have full control. 

My own journey started with the fact that I am a busy woman. With two children and a business, I'm also emotional and cry easily. Busy physically and busy mentally. 

Many of you might know that I published my first self-help book about slow living in June 2026 and am currently writing my first fiction novel - a romantic suspense. Along with patience, planning, and consistency, one thing a writer truly needs is time. So I started looking closely into my "business" - weekly tasks and habits, looking for ways to carve out more time for writing. I won't surprise anyone when I share that I rather quickly found the biggest, yet silent, eater of my time - the darn phone!

As a slow living practitioner, I've been limiting my social media scrolling for a while now, but it's always been push and pull. After all, I run an online business; I need to be visible, right? Kind of... We'll get to this.

So if I've been limiting my screen time for several years now, you might ask what has changed? I think it's because I've found my life calling, aka writing (I'm sorry if this sounds dramatic, but it really feels that way), I decided I need to be stricter with myself. I never used to check my screen time stats and just go by my gut, but I no longer can "afford" to be so loosey-goosey with my time if I also want to maintain the other vital aspects: reading, walks in nature, baking with Rosa. I can no longer give the phone hours of my day, especially since it's stealing my time silently; some days I barely notice. It's 15 minutes here, 20 minutes there, half an hour during lunch, and so on, and before I realise it, I spend so much time on non-work tasks that I could write 2000 words for my novel. This cannot be! ;)

Let's define screen time

When we talk screen time, our minds automatically go to social media apps like Instagram or TikTok, but modern phones track the general amount of time you spend on your phone. Yes, this includes time you get pulled into an infinite scroll, but also when you check the weather, follow a recipe online, use navigation apps or edit a graphic in Canva. So when you check your average screen time, make sure to look at the more detailed stats, e.g., how much time you spend in each app.

Theoretically, using my MacBook counts toward screen time too, but this is when we get into the main point.

Consumption vs creativity

I mainly use my MacBook for editing my YouTube videos and writing. The kind of screen time I welcome. On my iPhone, I also have a plethora of work apps. Unfortunately, what I have noticed (and I'm being super honest with you here) is that while I finish work on my MacBook, I simply close it and put it away. But with my phone, the screen time is much more complicated. I edit my short-form videos, make graphics, and reply to comments and emails, but somewhere along the way I often slip into watching cute videos of Chihuahuas and endless yoga flows. Zuck has really found my weakness, because these are literally two topics that I could watch endlessly, and the algorithm serves them to me on the tap.

Average screen time

An adult in the UK spends well over 3 hrs on their mobile phone per day, with a further 3 hrs of TV. Over 6 hours a day! I don't mean to shame anyone, as in the past my own screen time could easly go up to 7 hrs a day -  just on my phone(!) Yes, I work, edit videos, write posts, emails, but still... It's mind-blowing how a gadget that didn't exist in my teenage years has taken over my life, including creativity!

My recent average screen time is about 2 hrs a day, and I think that's fair for a small business owner and a modern woman. I message mum, read comments, shop and use navigation. But low screen time on my phone has had a profound effect on almost every aspect of my life.

I'm sharing it in hopes it inspires you to check your own stats and adjust accordingly.

1) More time for what I truly want to pursue in life.

Do you know that one of my biggest dreams is to own a little Chihuahua? Andrei and I both agree we'll definitely get a little land seal in the future, when we are ready. But what's the point of me spending hours each week watching dogs that I will never even pet? It steals time I could use for things I'm pursuing now. 

Right now, my biggest focus is my new book, and cutting down screen time has worked like magic. As I write this post (22/10/2026), my manuscript has 51 thousands words. According to my own plan, I am almost four weeks ahead! All thanks to not watching tiny dogs and endless yoga tutorials.

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2) Gaining distance 

One of the most interesting experiences so far in low-screen life is that I began looking at social media completely differently, like an outsider - even though I've been an insider my entire adult life. After just a few days off Instagram, when you jump back in, it feels like there is a protective barrier between you and them. If you watch something day after day, you naturally sink into it; it becomes normal. But then when you log off for a few days and look at it with fresh eyes, it's like you've gained distance, a space where you are not immersed and therefore able to better judge if what's presented is truly worth your time, attention or money. Or if it's straight silly.

3) Building things that last.

Any content creator knows the algorithm is a feeble, capricious thing - and views come and go. This is especially true with short-form content. When it comes to longer videos or written content, a viewer or reader has to put more effort into consuming it. This usualy means they make more informed decisions about signing up for a newsletter or watching a 25-minute video. You decide if it's worth your time, and if it matches your expectations, you tend to value it higher.

This isn't the case with short-form, where a user keeps swiping up and up and up, forgetting names or even videos they saw a couple of minutes ago.

For a creator, it's infinitely harder to film and edit a long-form video than an Instagram short. It's also a peak of difficulty to invite people to your website to read your blog or join your newsletter. Because of this, this sort of content is often more meaningful because of the effort that goes into it. It creates a two-way relationship that does not depend on the algorithm.

So in this instance, limiting screen time for editing short-form content actually led me to put more time and energy into my blog, newsletter, and YouTube, building a more meaningful, two-way connection with my viewers and readers and not relying on algorithms to be seen.

So yes, for a small business owner, being seen matters, but low screen time showed me that quality beats quantity.

4) Being happier

All the things above add up to simply being happier. I genuinely have more time in the day, I'm ahead with my writing and feel like I have lots of time to do it. Not worrying about showing up daily on some funny little app has freed my creativity, and avoiding my phone has left me more time for yoga and reading. 

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A few closing words

I've jotted down some thoughts here on the past few weeks of trying my hardest to readjust my work, life, and mindset to low screen time. This is ongoing, and I'm sure things will change and evolve as new lessons and thoughts arise, so I will keep you updated. Would this ever lead me to leaving social media behind completely? Probably not; I still think that the dose makes the poison. The goal is to stay in control of your screen time and use it for your benefit, rather than letting it take control of you.

Thank you for reading,
Adriana x