A 5-Step Approach to Ending Your Phone Addiction

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Nov 10, 2025

Explore the pull of smartphone addiction as it taps into our brain's dopamine system. Discover how loneliness and boredom can heighten this risk. Delve into the parallels between screen addiction and other substances like alcohol. Learn five practical strategies to manage device use, including creating tech-free zones and mindful engagement. Find ways to reclaim your attention while keeping devices in your life—you'll be amazed at how much more fulfilling real experiences can be!

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insights

INSIGHT

Dopamine Drives Learning And Motivation

Dopamine evolved to motivate learning, wanting, and survival by signaling reward and anticipation.
This reward system trains behavior by reinforcing actions that produced gains and discouraging those that did not.

insights

INSIGHT

Smartphones Escalate The Reward Loop

Smartphones escalate dopamine-driven checking because apps increase the chance of unexpected rewards.
More apps and notifications amplify the training loop so people check devices more often each day.

insights

INSIGHT

Social Media Is Junk Food For Connection

Social media provides a trickle of oxytocin compared with real human contact, so people spend more time chasing connection.
This creates a cycle where virtual socializing increases loneliness, which then increases device use.

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How Does Addiction Work?

04:57 • 6min

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Why Smartphones Hijack Dopamine

10:37 • 48sec

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Loneliness, Boredom, and Vulnerability to Addiction

11:25 • 1min

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Screen Addiction Mirrors Other Addictions

12:49 • 2min

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Smartphone Use, Depression, and Anxiety

14:40 • 3min

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Two Paths to Break Addiction

18:01 • 3min

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How Much Screen Time Is Excessive?

21:04 • 4min

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Five Practical Steps to Beat Device Abuse

24:39 • 29sec

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Tech-Free Times: First Hour, Last Hour, Mealtimes

25:08 • 4min

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Tech-Free Zones: Bedroom and Classroom

29:08 • 2min

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Device-Free Breaks: Annual Silent Retreats

31:20 • 1min

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Mindful Consumption of Screens

32:40 • 4min

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Turn Off Notifications to Regain Control

36:45 • 2min

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Five-Step Summary and Commitment

38:53 • 1min

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What If Anxiety Rises When You Put Down Your Phone?

40:03 • 1min

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How to Achieve No-Phone Mornings Despite FOMO

41:30 • 56sec

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Can Introverts Find Happiness?

42:26 • 55sec

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It's Okay to Learn from Your Phone Use

• Mentioned in 125 episodes

Dopamine Nation

Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Anna Lembke, MD

In 'Dopamine Nation,' Dr. Anna Lembke delves into the scientific discoveries that explain why overindulgence in high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli leads to pain. The book combines personal narratives from her clinical practice with the latest psychology research to illustrate how to find contentment and connectedness by keeping dopamine in check. Lembke discusses the impact of modern addictions, such as those related to smartphones, food, and other behaviors, and provides strategies for managing consumption and transforming lives. The book emphasizes the importance of balancing the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery.

#2216

• Mentioned in 16 episodes

The Miracle of Mindfulness

An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation

Thich Nhat Hanh

This book, originally written as a long letter to a fellow Buddhist monk in 1974, provides a clear and simple introduction to the practice of mindfulness. Thich Nhat Hanh uses gentle anecdotes and practical exercises to teach readers how to be fully aware and awake in each moment, whether it be washing dishes, answering the phone, or peeling an orange. The book emphasizes the importance of living in the present and finding opportunities for self-understanding and peacefulness in everyday activities. It also includes practical advice on breathing techniques and other meditative practices to reduce stress and enhance focus and self-compassion.

#1414

• Mentioned in 22 episodes

The Happiness Files

Insights on Work and Life

Arthur C. Brooks

Our phones make life easier in countless ways. They connect us, inform us, and keep our lives running. But they also creep into every quiet moment, stealing our focus and dulling the satisfaction we find in real experiences.

In this episode of Office Hours, I talk about how our phones tap into the brain’s reward system and what we can do to reclaim control. I am not suggesting that you give up your devices entirely, since that is likely unrealistic for most people. Instead, I offer simple guardrails that help you enjoy the benefits of technology without letting it dominate your day. I share five practical strategies to create boundaries that help you stay focused, balanced, and fully present.

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Where to find Arthur Brooks:

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://arthurbrooks.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/arthurcbrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/ArthurBrooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGuyFRjJQFGCKzfHTBvWM6A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-c-brooks/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠officehours@arthurbrooks.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(04:22) An overview of dopamine and its role in learning, motivation, and reward

(09:08) How addiction hijacks dopamine, and why some of us are more vulnerable than others

(13:50) Who is most at risk for phone addiction and other dangers of phone use

(17:48) The two paths to breaking addiction and when moderation simply doesn’t work

(19:09) Why moderation is the right approach for phones and how much we’re overusing them

(24:33) Strategy #1: Tech-free times

(28:45) Strategy #2: Tech-free zones

(30:45) Strategy #3: Device-free breaks

(32:09) Strategy #4: Mindful consumption

(36:21) Strategy #5: Turn off your notifications

(39:33) Q&A: Handling anxiety when you put your phone down

(41:00) Q&A: Breaking the morning phone habit

(41:53) Q&A: Finding happiness as an introvert

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Referenced:

• How to Build a Life: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/how-build-life/

• The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Files-Insights-Arthur-Brooks/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN

• Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence: https://www.amazon.com/Dopamine-Nation-Finding-Balance-Indulgence/dp/152474672X

• Anhedonia: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/25155-anhedonia

• How Cues Drive Our Behavior: https://neurosciencenews.com/behavior-cues-dopamine-9654

• Dopamine and Addiction: https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-103337

• Neurotransmitter Dopamine (DA) and its Role in the Development of Social Media Addiction: https://www.iomcworld.org/open-access/neurotransmitter-dopamine-da-and-its-role-in-the-development-of-social-media-addiction-59222.html

• 2 Proven Strategies (and 1 Big Mistake) for Dealing with Anxiety: https://www.arthurbrooks.com/podcast/2-proven-strategies-and-1-big-mistake-for-dealing-with-anxiety

• Are bored minds more likely to be addicted? The relationship between boredom proneness and problematic mobile phone use: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460319314364

• Depression, anxiety, and smartphone addiction in university students- A cross-sectional study: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/08/22/how-teens-and-parents-navigate-screen-time-and-device-distractions

• ...References continued at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arthurbrooks.com/office-hours⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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