{"id":363,"date":"2026-05-25T22:08:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T22:08:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=363"},"modified":"2026-05-25T22:08:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T22:08:46","slug":"i-tried-to-turn-my-phone-off-for-a-week-why-it-didnt-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=363","title":{"rendered":"I tried to turn my phone off for a week. Why it didn\u2019t work"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<div> <div>\n<button>\n<strong>\n<span><svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n<span>Summary<\/span>\n<\/strong>\n<span><svg><\/svg>\n<\/span>\n<span><svg><\/svg>\n<\/span>\n<\/button>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>CNN&#8217;s Antoinette Radford documents her weeklong attempt to disconnect from her smartphone, revealing unexpected challenges with modern life&#8217;s digital dependencies.<\/li>\n<li>The experiment exposed how deeply integrated phones have become in daily tasks, including online shopping and airport navigation.<\/li>\n<li>Despite facing obstacles and exhaustion from the phone withdrawal, Radford discovered some benefits and plans to repeat the digital detox monthly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<span>AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<cite>\n<span>Doha, Qatar<\/span><span>\u00a0\u2014\u00a0<\/span>\n<\/cite><\/div>\n<p>\n            I have a gym class this evening, Pilates on Tuesday and an interview on Wednesday. I write them in my planner \u2014 a new purchase \u2014 as I won\u2019t get a reminder on my smartphone.\n    <\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=345\">Trump\u2019s compensation plan is a metaphor for a brazen presidency<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n            I send my parents an email with a phone number for my burner phone \u2014 another new purchase \u2014 and tell them I\u2019ll be in touch in five days.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            I\u2019m not going off the grid. In fact, I\u2019m not going anywhere. I\u2019m just giving up my smartphone for a week.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            After receiving one too many targeted ads, ironically on Instagram, about how our phones and social media are leading to burnout \u2014 a state in which one feels a lack of energy, a decline in sense of belonging and a plummeting self-esteem \u2014 I decided to switch off for a working week.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Before I started my experiment, I spoke with neuroscientist Tj Power, who specializes in phone addiction, to get some advice on how to put my phone away \u2014 and keep it away.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cOur brains are extremely overstimulated, and it\u2019s burning out our dopamine receptors,\u201d Power  tells me.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<header>\n<span>\n      Related article\n    <\/span>\n<\/header>\n<section>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Social media algorithms are often designed to flood people with dopamine, Lembke said,\" class=\"wp-image-355\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b797e5b0bd632a11a09e2de81dbd011c.jpg\" width=\"256\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Social media algorithms are often designed to flood people with dopamine, Lembke said,<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Viktoriia Lomtieva\/iStockphoto\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n<span>How to tell if you have a \u2018dopamine deficit\u2019 and what you can do to reset<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<div>7  min read<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in our brains that makes us feel joy or excitement. It\u2019s been linked to pleasure, reward and motivation, Dr. Anna Lembke, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, previously told CNN.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cI always warn people, they\u2019re going to feel worse before they feel better,\u201d Lembke, the author of \u201cDopamine Nation,\u201d said  when asked about her suggestion of abstaining from items that trigger our dopamine.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            My decision to put down my phone came at the same time as a landmark social media trial was underway in Los Angeles, with Big Tech companies facing questions about whether their platforms could cause addiction in some people. Ultimately, a jury found Meta and YouTube, which is owned by Google, were negligent in the design of their platforms, knew their design was dangerous and failed to warn of those risks, and caused substantial harm to the plaintiff.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Meta and YouTube,which both denied the lawsuit\u2019s allegations and contested the idea that their platforms could be addictive<strong>, <\/strong>said they planned to appeal the verdict.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<header>\n<span>\n      Related article\n    <\/span>\n<\/header>\n<section>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Social issues in internet technology and social media in teenager mental health. Low self esteem young Asian teenager boy sitting alone crying with smartphone, feeling frustration, fear, pain, anxiety, abused as victim of cyberbullying.\" class=\"wp-image-356\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/53ae610a56b7b32594fc51ac1f589a5a.jpg\" width=\"256\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Social issues in internet technology and social media in teenager mental health. Low self esteem young Asian teenager boy sitting alone crying with smartphone, feeling frustration, fear, pain, anxiety, abused as victim of cyberbullying.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Jatuporn Tansirimas\/iStockphoto\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n<span>After two jury verdicts against social media companies, it\u2019s time to reexamine your kids\u2019 tech use<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<div>3  min read<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            I didn\u2019t consider myself a phone addict \u2014 I thought I used the phone as much as any other person. Which means that by noon on a recent Friday before I started my experiment, I had picked up my device 88 times according to its \u201cpick up\u201d tracker.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            But once I put it down for the 88th  time, I realized the rectangular piece of metal I carry with me at all times has become my second brain. It really was time to do a personal digital detox. I pitched the story to my bosses, promising I would still use technology for my job (just my laptop without any social media access) and  started looking for experts to help me begin.\n    <\/p>\n<h2>\n        Starting my phone-free experiment\n<\/h2>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The first part of Radford's experiment involved finding an old-school Nokia phone.\" class=\"wp-image-357\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/57dbf520c0669d17d951868e89639922.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/57dbf520c0669d17d951868e89639922.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/57dbf520c0669d17d951868e89639922-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>The first part of Radford&#8217;s experiment involved finding an old-school Nokia phone.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>CNN<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            It\u2019s Monday morning, and I have physical therapy a half-hour drive away. I hop in a cab \u2014 phone locked away in the depths of my bag \u2014 and start my drive unplugged from the music I would usually play in my earphones. Maybe keeping my phone with me is cheating, but I do it just in case I need it.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            For the first time in four months since moving to a new city, I notice a park that I had been meaning to visit. I\u2019m also aware that the cabdriver keeps scratching his head \u2014 an observation I would usually miss with my head buried in my phone.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            After leaving physical therapy, I cave quickly to my phone. Despite bringing my physical cards to pay \u2014 I didn\u2019t check my bank account balance. My payment bounces, and reluctantly I pull the phone out to check my account and move money into it.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            I put my phone back away, determined to stay off it for the rest of the day. Successfully.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<header>\n<span>\n      Related video\n    <\/span>\n<\/header>\n<section>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"thumb 3.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-358\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6209a16fa60b7ce153dbd2770a351700.jpg\" width=\"256\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Lacey Russell<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n<span>Can I fix my frazzled attention span? Here\u2019s how my 30-day training worked<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<span><svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n          4:15\n        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<h2>\n        Starting over the next day\n<\/h2>\n<p>\n            The following day, I promise to try and not look at my phone.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Tuesday morning starts strong. I go to the gym \u2014 with no headphones to play music or smartphone to track my workout. Fortunately for me, I run into my colleague Ivana and hope to chat. But unfortunately for me, Ivana   is wearing headphones and is ready to work out on her own.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            I get a ride into work with another colleague in my apartment building and start my day. I\u2019m working just fine until midafternoon.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            I\u2019m living in a majority Muslim country during my experiment, and Ramadan starts this Tuesday evening. Many shops across the country close during the monthlong holiday. I haven\u2019t bought nearly enough supplies, so I hop online to purchase some essentials before the evening.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Doing so is allowed, as part of the digital detox, my colleagues said. I can use my laptop for work. I just need to stay off my smartphone and social media accounts.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            I add my items to my online cart, go to check out and remember that my bank account emails a two-factor authentication code to my personal phone. I try to log into my personal email on my work laptop, so I don\u2019t have to open my phone again. But I get the password wrong. Then I get the password wrong a second time.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            The only solution? An email sent to my trusted device to confirm it\u2019s me trying to log in. My trusted device is, no surprise, my phone.\n    <\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=337\">Want to be happier and healthier? Switch up your day with movement breaks<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n            Perhaps I should just stay logged out of my email for the remainder of the week? But I decide against it. I do need some groceries after all. Reluctantly, I switch the phone off airplane mode and enter the two-factor authentication code for my grocery order.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Maybe tomorrow will be my day.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<header>\n<span>\n      Related article\n    <\/span>\n<\/header>\n<section>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"20260304-wellness-chatbot-texts.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-359\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/d4be0ad5ad883aa2b2aa5e4d0884e198.jpg\" width=\"256\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Illustration by Alberto Mier\/CNN<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n<span>Gen Z is outsourcing hard conversations to AI. Why it matters<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<div>8  min read<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<h2>\n        I finally hit my stride\n<\/h2>\n<p>\n            Wednesday proves my most successful day yet. I head to the gym in the morning, hop in my friend\u2019s carshare and leave my phone in its drawer at home. Even if I wanted it, I couldn\u2019t use it.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Power, the neuroscientist, had warned me I would experience withdrawal symptoms, including possibly feeling anxious, having a low mood and being tired without the stimulation from my phone.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Neuroscientist Tj Power warns that withdrawal from the smartphone might cause exhaustion and anxiety.\" class=\"wp-image-360\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/8803fd0906688ed98a39fbfdbb1fdb9a.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/8803fd0906688ed98a39fbfdbb1fdb9a.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/8803fd0906688ed98a39fbfdbb1fdb9a-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Neuroscientist Tj Power warns that withdrawal from the smartphone might cause exhaustion and anxiety.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>CNN<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            He\u2019s right. It\u2019s only been three days, and I am absolutely exhausted. Every morning I feel like I haven\u2019t slept enough, with the only noticeable change being without my phone.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n            Lembke recommends a 30-day abstinence trial \u2014 also known as a \u201cdopamine fast,\u201d as it takes around four weeks to reset reward pathways in the brain.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            I check back in with Power and ask him whether my exhaustion could be linked to being without my phone.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cDopamine    \u2026 it has a cousin in our system called adrenaline,\u201d he tells me.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n            Adrenaline is a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It\u2019s responsible for the body\u2019s fight-or-flight response and helps transmit messages across the body.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cIt might not be that you\u2019re suddenly more exhausted, it might be that you actually were pretty exhausted, but the phone was masking it,\u201d he tells me. \u201cWe don\u2019t realize how exhausted we are until some of the external stimulation stops.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<header>\n<span>\n      Related article\n    <\/span>\n<\/header>\n<section>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Close up of  brazilian woman, she does the paperwork at home. It looks like a hard working day for her.\" class=\"wp-image-361\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/f45da48308e2ef261fa2a91975182c1d.jpg\" width=\"256\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Close up of  brazilian woman, she does the paperwork at home. It looks like a hard working day for her.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Drakula Images\/Moment RF\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n<span>Exhausted? The reason may be how you\u2019re using technology<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<div>6  min read<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<h2>\n        My job takes up my day\n<\/h2>\n<p>\n            Thursday is show day on CNN Creators, and I\u2019m really busy, so I don\u2019t miss my phone so much. Four days in, and I\u2019m getting more used to it not being around.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            But I am still exhausted. My team is talking about the recent movie \u201cWuthering Heights,\u201d and the social media discourse around it. (\u201cWuthering Heights\u201d is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, which is owned by CNN\u2019s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.) Without my phone,I have completely missed the online chatter around it.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            I\u2019m also missing my friends in London and my family in Australia. I want to switch back on to connect with them.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            But I\u2019ve yet to face the biggest hurdle of my week.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<header>\n<span>\n      Related article\n    <\/span>\n<\/header>\n<section>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Japanese father sitting with his young son on the floor in a cozy living room, both looking at digital tablet, concept of parenting, family bonding, and digital learning. Location: indoor home setting.\" class=\"wp-image-362\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/fcd9c839dd4b869b56361818be86ad7c.jpg\" width=\"256\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Japanese father sitting with his young son on the floor in a cozy living room, both looking at digital tablet, concept of parenting, family bonding, and digital learning. Location: indoor home setting.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>CG Tan\/E+\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n<span>You haven\u2019t screwed up your kids by letting them use social media. An expert has tips for what to do<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<div>6  min read<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<h2>\n        It\u2019s time to fly on Friday\n<\/h2>\n<p>\n            Have you ever thought what it would be like to travel through an international airport without your phone?\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Neither had I.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            But once I realized my flight fell within my detox week, I knew I\u2019d have to prepare for the adventure.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            I order a taxi to take me to the airport, but the price I\u2019m quoted is different from the one I\u2019m charged, and without my phone I can\u2019t really argue the point.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            At the airport, I need to check in manually, which involves getting past a checkpoint where the staff requires you to show your booking confirmation. The one I hadn\u2019t printed.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            I explain the situation and make it to the check-in counter. Once through, I grab a coffee and sit in front of the departures board \u2014 conscious that I won\u2019t get a push alert on my phone notifying me about my gate.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            I board my flight and sit with no headphones or music, but with a note with all my important numbers. I text my friend on my burner phone to confirm her address. Then I sleep for the duration of the flight. When I land and head to ground transportation, I tell the cabdriver my friend\u2019s address, hop in the cab and arrive.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            A few hours later, and the detox is over.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<header>\n<span>\n      Related article\n    <\/span>\n<\/header>\n<section>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"cropped image of senior men writing crossword on newspaper\" class=\"wp-image-117\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4a00f7f6ae9b487f0b8d40e91785139f.jpg\" width=\"256\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>cropped image of senior men writing crossword on newspaper<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Carol Yepes\/Moment RF\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n<span>\u2018Passive\u2019 screen time may raise dementia risk. How to keep your brain engaged<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<div>6  min read<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            I remain exhausted, but my memory feels much improved. I almost forgot I wasn\u2019t using it, and staying off my phone has reactivated remembering things without constantly looking at the device.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            I like that part of the experiment. I also relish that once I made a plan \u2014 I was committed to it. Having realized I can get around without my phone and function perfectly well \u2014 I\u2019m going to try to make a point of committing things to memory going forward.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            I know my reliance on my phone could creep back. So, I make myself a promise: I\u2019ll do this again next month.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n    Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN\u2019s Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.\n<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=323\">Both say there\u2019s no race, but Rubio and Vance take a 2028 turn<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Worried that she was getting addicted to her smartphone, CNN\u2019s Antoinette Radford tried giving the device up for a week. It did not go well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-wellness"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>I tried to turn my phone off for a week. Why it didn\u2019t work - Relocation Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=363\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"I tried to turn my phone off for a week. 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