Nine writers and public figures have opened up about the habits they are cutting out of their lives this year. Among them, author Rutger Bregman and business owner Patrick Grant share their battles with modern distractions — and how they took control.
Bregman, author of Moral Ambition, admits he was addicted to his smartphone. After failing to control his usage with conventional tricks, he took drastic action: he deleted addictive apps and asked his wife to set a passcode on his phone, blocking both the apps and the browser. He kept only useful tools like Maps and Photos, removing what he calls the "infinite-scroll dopamine traps".
The initial days were disorienting, Bregman says, as he reached for his phone out of habit. But gradually the compulsive urge weakened. He still relapses when his wife forgets to reapply the block, and he recommends the approach to others until big tech is properly regulated.
Patrick Grant, judge on The Great British Sewing Bee, decided to give up alcohol after a friend’s divorce party that involved absinthe and left him with a hangover lasting from Saturday to Wednesday. What began as a two-month challenge stretched into a year. Within a week he felt different; within a month, considerably better. He describes the sensation as having his brain "taken out and rinsed".
Grant says the hardest part was navigating social situations where drinking is the norm, but he learned that connection can happen without booze. Both writers agree that life is too short to waste time on habits that dull the mind. Their advice: take control, even if it means asking for help.
