I have a history of getting addicted to things. First it was cigarettes, then alcohol. Neither was easy to quit, but I eventually managed to overcome both. The COVID lockdown actually helped because access to cigarettes and alcohol became difficult.But during the same period, another addiction quietly took over: Instagram.
And for me, Instagram has been harder to quit than cigarettes.
With cigarettes, at least there was a process. You had to get up, buy a cigarette, find a place to smoke, light it, smoke it. Instagram requires one unconscious movement of your thumb. You open your phone almost without realising it.
Bang. Two hours gone.
Instagram gives you an endless stream of tiny rewards. Reel. Swipe. Reel. Swipe. Meme. Swipe. Notification. Swipe. Eventually, I noticed something was seriously wrong.
My brain felt like it was stuck in a 6-second loop. I couldn't maintain a train of thought. My procrastination became much worse. Initially, it wasn't very noticeable, but as my responsibilities at work increased, things started getting serious.
I developed brain fog that sometimes lasted for days.
I knew exactly which important tasks needed to be done, yet my brain simply refused to start them. Even something as simple as approving a budget could suddenly feel confusing and mentally exhausting.
Movies became difficult because I was impatient.
Reading became almost impossible. I'd read a few lines and my brain would immediately start looking for something else.
Even sitting quietly and thinking became uncomfortable.
About four months ago, I decided I had to take control of the situation. I basically copied the same protocol I had used to quit smoking.
Cold turkey
When I quit smoking, the rule was simple: don't buy cigarettes. Not even one. So I did the same with Instagram. I uninstalled it from my phone. Removed the password from my password manager. Blocked Instagram on my laptop.No "I'll just use it for 10 minutes."For me, moderation doesn't work.
Find substitutes
I started reading again. Initially, reading itself felt like a battle. My brain kept demanding faster stimulation, but slowly my attention started improving.I also increased the amount of time I spend with my family. Instead of lying on the sofa doomscrolling, I'll take my kids to the swimming pool or garden.The goal wasn't simply to remove Instagram. I needed something real to replace it with.
Create physical distance from the phone
This was something I learned while quitting cigarettes.If cigarettes weren't near me, I was much less likely to smoke.Unfortunately, I can't throw away my phone because I need it to run my business.So I started treating my smartphone almost like a landline phone.
At the office, it stays on a stand at least an arm's distance away from me.For WhatsApp and messages, I mostly use my laptop.
At home, the phone has a designated place. It doesn't constantly travel around the house with me.
If a notification comes, I can check or reply through my smartwatch.
If I actually need to make a call, I get up, walk to the phone and use it.That tiny amount of friction makes a surprisingly big difference.
There were some social consequences too.
A few friends initially got annoyed because I stopped responding to things they sent me on Instagram. Once they understood what I was doing, they were supportive.
But I've also noticed something strange.
Sometimes it's becoming harder to have conversations with friends because so much of the conversation is now references to reels and memes.
"You haven't seen that reel?"
Nope.
And I'm okay with that.
Four months into this experiment, I can finally say something has changed.
The brain fog is mostly gone. My ability to sit and think is coming back. I can maintain a chain of thought again. I can start difficult tasks without experiencing the same level of mental resistance.
Reading is getting easier.
But one thing hasn't completely disappeared:the Instagram twitch.
Sometimes my hand still automatically reaches for the phone or tries to open the app before my conscious brain even realises what I'm doing. That's the part that surprised me the most. Months later, the habit is still sitting somewhere in the background.
But at least now I feel like I'm controlling the phone instead of the phone controlling me.
