Michelle Ruiz, journalist at Vogue US, knows it, she is constantly glued to her phone. Either, like most of our generation, rocked by new technology. And yes, we are not going to lie to each other, we all have this habit of checking our mobile at least 50 times a day. As a result, our dear mobile even accompanies us in our bed (and that, even if we share it with someone). Before falling asleep, we have adopted the habit of skimming over the feed of our social networks. And of course, when you wake up, checking the news directly on your phone has become automatic.
In her article, this journalist explains that she wanted to get away from her phone. She then turned to Luke Simon, a holistic healer. The latter told him about the 50-minute rule. A method he learned from a speech given by author Brendon Burchard during his conference “5×50 Productivity Formula ".
The concept is simple to understand:you turn off your phone 50 minutes before sleeping, and turn it back on 50 minutes after waking up… But unfortunately more difficult to apply, when you are really addicted. Nevertheless, we must face the facts, parting with your laptop is beneficial. The author behind the rule says that checking your phone relentlessly is:"immersing yourself in a world of false emergencies" . Indeed, according to Brendon Burchard, everything is based on our reactions. Our mailbox is only the agenda of other people, which encourages us to react. From this moment, our life becomes “a life of reactions ". Detaching yourself from your laptop as the rule indicates, especially in the morning, would make it easier to realize what you are going to accomplish and to have a peaceful time. Parting with it at night would make our sleep more restful, and therefore more restorative.
A study from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, made public in 2015, confirms the rule. Everything would be played on the blue light coming from the LEDs of the screens. This prevents the secretion of melatonin, a hormone essential for the quality of sleep.
Michelle Ruiz challenged herself to use this method for a week. She drew several personal conclusions.
– Going to bed without a phone gives the impression of being at the spa because it makes us more zen.
– We start reading something other than everything we find on social networks and we immerse ourselves in literature.
– Sleep is really more restful:you sleep better and you feel it.
– Initially, waking up without a phone is quite hard. But once you get used to it, you (almost) don't notice it anymore. This also extends the time spent without a phone.
– The temptation to pick up your laptop in bed is strong. It is advisable to leave it in another room.
– Mornings without phones are happier. We appreciate the time spent with our family.
- When you come across addicts to new technologies, you realize that you want to look more like these "zombies".
– Nevertheless, this does not prevent us from often looking at our telephone. It takes more than 7 days to fully adopt the 50-minute habit. But it allows us to spend less time on our screen. An addiction that can therefore be reduced over the long term.
So will you be able to part with your laptop like Michelle Ruiz?
