Dear Reader,

I’ve been lying to you.

Okay, maybe not outright lying. But I haven’t been telling the full truth.

I’ve positioned myself as "Sir Robert: Slayer of Distractions!" A champion of stillness and the mindful path, encouraging you to unplug, find calm, and disconnect.

But here’s the truth. I’m not always as unplugged as I seem.

A few years ago, I quit social media entirely. I didn’t post. I didn’t scroll. My mind felt clear, calm, and free.

It was great for me personally. But I soon realized it wasn’t so great for my business. I was missing opportunities to share my teaching with the world.

So, I reconnected. And then the leaks started.

At first, they were small. I’d check a little here and there. I’d take time to engage with other teachers and creators.

But gradually, I felt the pull growing stronger, and it started to creep into more and more of my day.

Because when you’re creating content, you want to know how it’s doing. You want to take a peek. You want to respond to that latest comment.

And that pull to check, to stay plugged in, is not a coincidence. It’s by design.

Tech companies have built a perfect machine to keep us hooked. They exploit our dopamine systems, locking us into endless loops of scrolling and checking. And it’s not just you and me; it’s all of society.

I fear we’ve become like fish in water, so immersed in distraction that we don’t even notice we’re suffocating.

Today, I want to share how this has shown up in my own life and offer some solutions that have helped me reclaim my sanity and focus.

My hope is they can help you too.

Big Tech Are The Borg

Modern tech companies are like The Borg from Star Trek: relentless, cunning, and always trying to assimilate us.

And they’ve perfectly hacked our psychology.

Likes and notifications give us little dopamine hits. Lockout features keep us tethered to our phones (looking at you, Meta). And their algorithms are perfectly tuned to keep us glued, feeding us exactly what we crave in 30-second bursts.

But this constant stimulation doesn’t just tire us out in the moment. Over time, it chips away at our mental health, our focus, and even our creativity.

Humans evolved in small, quiet groups of about 150 people. We weren’t built to process this much stimulation or to have access to billions of people at once.

When I was a kid, you got your news from a single newspaper. Once you finished reading, you had to wait for the next one to come out.

Now, information is endless.

Even if we browsed 24/7, we wouldn’t get through 0.00000000002% of the content created daily. It’s like trying to drink the ocean with a thimble.

So if you’ve ever felt drained, restless, or dispassionate in the face of this torrent, you’re not alone.

I’ve felt it too.

The more time I spend plugged in, the less motivated I feel. When I spend all day consuming instead of creating, I feel tense, anxious, or even angry.

Even meditation and yoga, the things that usually ground me, take a long time to calm the storm caused by too much screen time.

The social machine is relentless. It wants your attention. It wants to keep you plugged in.

But I’ve also learned something important: The less I engage with it, the better I feel.

Of all the habits I’ve developed, learning to manage my media consumption has been the most transformative.

When I keep it in check, I think more clearly, feel more creative, and have more energy.

I also get something else back. A sense of contentment that feels like it’s missing in the modern age.

How to Slay The Dragon

If you want to slay the distraction dragon for yourself, here are some simple but effective guardrails to help protect your mental health.

1. Intermittent Media Fasting

If you try one thing from this list, let it be this: limit your social media use to specific times.

For me, this means no social media before lunch or after dinner. That gives me a six-hour window to check in and get things done. It’s more than enough, and it protects my best hours from being derailed.

Starting your day with your phone is like setting your brain to chaos mode before you’ve even had coffee. And if you scroll at night, it’ll wreck your sleep and leave you feeling terrible in the morning.

Also, within your window, set a time limit.

I aim for 30 minutes daily, though I stretch this if I’m working on a project.

2. Use Tools to Help You

Willpower is overrated.

Blocking software like Freedom can lock out distractions and keep you focused. You can set it to allow browsing only during specific times, making it a perfect partner to media fasting.

Another trick I use is the Phone Foyer Method. Leave your phone in a designated spot—like near the entrance of your home or on the kitchen counter.

This forces you to physically get up if you want to check it. It’s a great way to avoid getting sucked into mindless doomscrolling on the couch.

3. Replace Distractions With Value

Eliminating distractions isn’t enough. You need to fill the gap with meaningful activities.

The best activities are physical. Go for a walk. Do yoga or qigong. Garden. Move your body in some way—it helps reduce restlessness and gets you out of your head.

It’s even better if you can do these activities with someone else.

Social media tricks us into thinking we’re connecting with others, but it’s a poor substitute for real social interaction. Even watching a show with a friend or partner is better than scrolling alone.

When you need time to yourself, meditation and reading are excellent ways to unwind and reset.

4. Embrace Imperfection

Even with systems in place, I’ve had plenty of slip-ups.

The key is to keep coming back. Remind yourself why you’re doing this in the first place.

The contentment you’ll feel from unplugging is so much better than the quick rush of a social media binge.

In Closing

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about small, consistent steps to reclaim your attention.

Unplugging isn’t just good for you. It’s an act of rebellion and an invitation to reclaim the clarity and contentment that modern life often steals from us.

Every time you resist, you take back a piece of yourself.

Maybe resistance isn’t futile after all.

Stay grounded,
Rob

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PS: If this message resonates with you, and you’re ready to dive deeper into managing distraction and cultivating calm, I have space for two private students right now.

Together, we’ll create a tailored plan that helps you not just unplug but truly thrive in your life and practices.

If you’re interested, reply to this email.

Resistance Is Not Futile: How to Slay the Distraction Dragon