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What if the quiet you crave is on the other side of a few simple phone boundaries? We sit down with strategist and community builder Kelsey Green to unpack digital minimalism as a values-first way to use technology without letting it use you. From the rise of anxiety and scattered attention to the illusion of connection on social media, we get honest about how the constant scroll erodes presence, creativity, and relationships—and how to take your focus back.
Kelsey shares what her Screen-Free Sunday challenge reveals about compulsion, why “brain drain” happens when a phone is in sight, and how batching messages, using Do Not Disturb, and curating feeds can lower stress fast. We dig into the fear of missing out and the myth that seeing updates equals staying close. Instead, we talk about prioritizing real conversations with the few people who matter most, and building in-person circles through tiny, daily actions like choosing a human checkout, making eye contact, and joining local groups.
We also explore the gray area where late-in-life distractibility may be environment and anxiety—not lifelong ADHD—and how earned dopamine from nature, deep work, and hands-on hobbies resets the nervous system. Expect practical steps you can try tonight: a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. phone curfew, leaving the device in another room, a paper “Instead” list to replace doomscrolling, and gentle exceptions so family can reach you in emergencies. By the end, you’ll have a toolkit to reclaim time, attention, and genuine connection—without abandoning the tools you still need.
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You can find Kelsey at https://www.kelseylgreen.com/
Books mentioned in the episode:
Digital Minimalism - Cal Newport
Deep Work - Cal Newport
Slow Productivity - Cal Newport
The Anxious Generation - Jonathan Haidt
Last Child in the Woods - Richard Louv
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