I've talked a lot lately about breaking up with social media, and today I'm sharing how I developed healthy phone habits that have actually stuck for me long term, not the extreme two-day detox that always falls apart. These are conscious, sustainable changes to my scrolling habits that I've kept up with for months now!
In this episode, I'm covering:
ππ» Why I stopped focusing on screen time and started paying attention to how automatically I reach for my phone
ππ» The physical setup changes that made the biggest difference (charging outside my room, reorganizing my home screen, going low-notification)
ππ» Why I created specific windows for social media instead of trying to quit it completely
ππ» How I got aggressive about who I follow and what I let the algorithm show me
ππ» How to actually break the automatic reach for your phone when you're bored, anxious, or avoiding something
Referenced in this episode:
ππ» 112. How Iβm Breaking Up With Social Media and Taking My Life BACK!! β https://youtu.be/BYB7y5Fx6g8
ππ» You're Not Lazy! 7 Reasons You Feel Behind Even When Nothing is Wrong (& How to Fix It) β https://youtu.be/SYNUI1q8Vu0
ππ» My Fall 2026 State of the Union | Ins, Outs & Full Seasonal Curriculum β https://youtu.be/-vIdIJF7w38
GET THE NEW PRODUCTIVITY PLANNER!
ππ» https://breakyourbudget.com/productivity-planner
Subscribe to the Beyond Your Budget Substack:
https://breakyourbudget.substack.com/
Personal Finance Starter Kit:
https://breakyourbudget.substack.com/p/your-personal-finance-starter-kit
BREAK YOUR BUDGET RESOURCES:
πΈ Personal Finance Dashboard:
https://breakyourbudget.com/personal-finance-dashboard
πΈ Basic Budgeting Template:
https://breakyourbudget.com/basic-budgeting-template
πΈ FI/RE Template:
https://breakyourbudget.com/fire-template
πΈ Rent vs. Buy Calculator:
https://breakyourbudget.com/rent-vs-buy-calculator
π³ TOOLS I USE:
πΈ Rakuten Cash Back (cash back on purchases you're already making): https://shorturl.at/w0PcH
πΈ SoFi HYSA (my fave high yield savings account): https://secure.money.com/pr/pa5344bfc4f2
πΈ Classpass (try it for a discounted first month): https://classpass.com/refer/UKLV6BN026
π MY BOOKS:
πΈ Own Your Money:
https://breakyourbudget.com/own-your-money
πΈ Own Your Career:
https://breakyourbudget.com/oyc-book
All Other Resources:
https://breakyourbudget.com/links
π©πΌβπ» Inquiries: michela@breakyourbudget.com
πΈ Instagram (Break Your Budget): https://www.instagram.com/breakyourbudget/
πΈ Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/michela_alloccaa
π² TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@breakyourbudget
πΈ My ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/shop/michelaallocca
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 β Why the extreme detoxes never actually worked and what I focus on instead
09:00 β Why I reach for my phone even when nothing is happening/the empty Instagram open-close loop
16:00 β Why making your phone physically harder to access works better than relying on willpower
20:00 β Why I plug my phone in outside my bedroom and what I call "phone office hours"
28:00 β Why I turned off every notification except calls and texts
34:00 β My "guilt-free scrolling" window and why giving yourself permission actually helps the boundary stick
37:00 β Why I aggressively unfollow people, and how your following list quietly reshapes what feels normal
46:00 β Why I reorganized my phone's home screen to make distraction require more effort
50:00 β What I actually do instead of reaching for my phone when I'm anxious, lonely, or avoiding work
57:00 β Why the goal isn't a perfect relationship with your phone, it's making sure it doesn't bookend your day
