I quit my phone for 30 days

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Hi there 👋 My name is Matt D'Avella. I'm a documentary filmmaker, entrepreneur and YouTuber. I've made a couple documentaries for Netflix. I also teach courses on everything from filmmaking to habit change. If you like to nerd out about self-development as much as I do, you can subscribe for weekly videos.

🔗 LINKS

[mattdavella]

Anyone planning to give this a try? 🙋‍♂

[kriskirby]

Had a mini heart attack when he said “alright I wanted to raise the stakes” while appearing to be driving blindfolded…

[andrianovaaj]

Great video! I've switched to dumb phone for a year and it was the best year of my life. I always thought that my basic level of happiness was quite low... except it wasn't. Not only did I become a happier person but also my anxiety levels reduced to minimum and I was finally able to live without my meds. The only weird thing is - when you sit down at a table at a restaurant with your friends, they start constantly checking their phones and you just sit there and stare into the void 😅

[NOLOASFUCK]

How many times can the same man quit his smartphone 💀

[wzrkgfs]

Hey Matt heres why I love your content. You dont pretend to to live an unrealistically perfect life. You akowldge your own struggles, whilst many others in the field try to pretend they have no flaws. So keep doing you. Love from Adelaide SA.

[farrenlee]

This feels like an Apple Watch commercial except it would literally cannibalise iPhone sales. Great video 🎉

[sunflowerseeds]

I've given this a try for a week and it's been the best decision; it's drastically reduced my screen time + increased my productivity and brain space. Infinite gratitude for the quality content you've made and continue to make.

[RealJustinCase]

I watched this video when it released. I started this journey on March 26th. This has been better than I could have ever imagined. The intentionality in my life has improved drastically. I am more present with my family and friends. I have been reading more books and enjoy so much more time with my daughter. Thank you for this video!

[matthieudenis]

I did it last month for 3 weeks and I realise how much time my wife is on her phone.
I was happy to get it back, because I talk with my friend and family a lot, but never miss it for social media

[AmandaTheJedi]

I bought an Apple Watch a few months back for a reduced version of this and it’s been great. I had a huge issue scrolling for ages at night and in the morning so I really just didn’t want to have my phone in my room anymore and I wanted to be able to keep it away from me while working and the watch has been great for all that. I also love the health tracking features for sleep and general well being to make sure I don’t just sit at my desk for 7 hour stints.

I know it’s foolish to buy new tech to use existing tech less but, hey, humans are (I’m) dumb!

[Neekss]

Well Matt, you've done it again. I've spent too much thought trying to find a system for phone addiction. As much as I hate my phone, I just couldn't get off IG and Youtube lol. And using a smart watch was my last thought as a resolution. I always figured it would make life even worse by putting a smart phone on your wrist. A true game changer that I'll have to try. The last two videos have been absolute bangers 🙌

[tylerupchurch]

Idea for a video: try tracking your macro nutrients for 30 days and see if it’s something worth taking the time to do for fitness and health.

[jeffrey_jpeg]

I love that you go further than many for a solution to your problems. This is inspiring and makes me want to do more experimenting.

[MarshmilloJB]

I’ve reached a place with my phone use where I don’t use devices in bed. I’m proud of the progress I’ve made between the last Matt D’Avella challenge and this one

[mnxsw]

Hey Matt, my idea for your navigation problem is: why don't you just keep a phone or tablet attached inside your vehicle and use it instead.

[LDNsurrey]

I’ve practiced this for nearly 5 years, it’s great, I do still get ‘range anxiety’ when it comes to Apple Watch battery life but as you say the benefits outweigh the cons.

[LeoDuff]

Hey Matt, exciting video!

Quick tip for navigating with the Watch, if you click on the map at the bottom of the interface you get a classic and much more convenient map view. It was hard to watch you try to navigate with the instructions 😭

[reginakapros]

This is what worked for me: deleting social media apps that are not necessary for communication with family/friends. Disabled all notification for apps that I need sometimes but not want to be reminded of. Placing on the first screen of my phone only apps that I need to use often. Also placing most in folders so it's more organized.

[heyseuz]

very insightful video! i’ve always wanted to give this a try, seeing you have success with your experiment is the encouragement i needed to go for it!

[taylorjanegreen]

Love you and Cal Newport author of "Digital Minimalism" and podcaster of "Deep Questions"! I love how you guys are both about the "a life well lived". The 5 C's: constitution, contemplation, community, celebration and craft - Go Team! I wish he would interview you!