Let's get physical!

time spent offline goes offline

I/ know a place/ where the grass is really greener

Hi there,

Let’s try this thing again.

And the thing about time spent offline is that you know what to do, you just don’t do it, or you don’t do it enough, or you do it for a bit but then you inevitably find yourself back in the rabbit hole of bottomless Instagram reels and clever Reddit posts while the book sits unread: And you wonder to yourself, What the fuck is wrong with me?

Nothing.

Some things are easier than others. Social media is easy, real life is hard.

And, of course, what you want isn’t determined by what you say you want. What you want is reflected in your actions. If you say you want to spend time reading instead of scrolling but you scroll anyway, what you really want to do is scroll, not read. No point in berating yourself about such facts. It’s a good start, to accept reality as is, and then say, “Okay so what I want to do is scroll but reading is a better use of my time,” and your brain— Maybe it’s the spirit— prefers such approach to the constant self-loathing for saying one thing and doing the opposite: What the fuck is wrong with me?

Nothing.

Some things are easier than others. Scrolling is easy, reading is hard.

And the thing about doing hard things that are better use of your time is that you must do the thing, even if all you can manage today is a page, a paragraph, or even a sentence while that thing in you, the thing that wants the reels, the digital noise, the easy stuff to escape the terror of living constantly nudges you to reach for your phone, the laptop, the remote control. It won’t magically get easier tomorrow just because you desperately want to do the hard stuff, you must do it. And if you do the thing that is a better use of your time consistently, even if all you can manage today is a page, a paragraph, or just a sentence, bit by bit, with enough time— years later— and enough patience, you find yourself reaching for the book on the table instead of your phone and you wonder, When the fuck did it get easier?

Easy.

Every time you commit to doing the thing that is a better use of your time than scrolling, even, and especially when that thing in you, the thing that wants the reels, the digital noise, and the easy stuff to escape the terror of the present moment constantly nudges you to reach for your phone, the laptop, the remote control.

Every. Single. Time.

Even if all you can manage today is a page, a paragraph, or even a sentence, every time you do the thing that is a better use of your time, it gets easier and easier and easier to do that thing than to do the other thing that leaves you frustrated, annoyed, angry, wondering What the fuck is wrong with me? for wasting yet another day trapped inside your black mirrors.

Action conquers fear.

And the idea for the Offline Mug came to me last year while obsessively thinking of ways I could nudge you towards action beyond just reading about time spent offline online (I know, I know); an accountability tool, a commitment device, that doesn’t require internet connection. You must understand, you must know, what you do matters far more than what you read about doing, even if all you can manage today is a page, a paragraph, or even a sentence— a five minute walk, an awkward conversation with the barista— You must do. The offline mug is a commitment device, a visual reminder of your commitment to doing hard things in reality that are better use of your time.

I have been using my Offline Mug for my morning coffee and time spent offline ritual— My most joyful, life-affirming practice, and a second one to hold all my writing utensils. The mugs are a daily visual reminder of what matters to me, of my commitment to time spent offline doing hard things that are better use of my time, of my one wild and precious life.

Tell me, what else should I have done?

P.s. Coming soon…

typing is easy, real life is hard

That’s all for this week!

Thank you for reading, and share with anyone you think may benefit.

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Until next time,

Mehret