I have a bad relationship with my digital devices.

I look at my screen time each week and hope to see the stats trending down and to the right.

And it does, for a time.

But then I get sucked into a new app or feature and my hours skyrocket and the cycle begins again.

Reading Johan Hari’s ‘Stolen Focus’ a lot of his experiences ring true.

The tiny hit of euphoria when you receive a notification.

That sense of guilt you feel as you endlessly scroll through your Facebook feed.

But what struck me was the realization that the books and vlogs espousing stoic resolve in order to achieve a digital detox only work for a minority of people.

Ultimately, after an initial effort most will go back to square one, staring at our screens in the middle of night.

That is why the tools the industry has put in place to temper your digital usage serve a particular market segment and nothing more.

It takes a lot of energy to live by these guideline’s day after day, month after month.

Without understanding the underlying issues, it will be difficult to sustain improvements over time.

Developing discipline is not a linear path.

Digital detox is same as building an exercise regime, there are back steps and forward steps, and with a few knocks it is easy to fall of the wagon.

And consumption is like a processed food, it feels good in the moment but with each bite those empty calories of screen time keep adding up.

Each of us is partial to a different digital treat, whether that is being heard on twitter, getting likes on Instagram or reeling through their YouTube recommendations.

For me it is escape, after working 14 hours working in a new location with little entertainment options around, I need something to switch off for a few hours to stop my mind racing.

In short, I am in a rut, and I feel too drained to pick up a book, go for a run or meet with friends in real life.

Knowing this, what do I do now?

Well Johan advocates a 4-day week and I see merit in this.

I work six days a week, sometimes seven often with little sleep and pressure at most times.

Therefore, I do not give my mind chance to recover and so the hurdle to make that initial effort to do something positive in my personal life is that much higher.

Secondly, understanding a little of why I am forming these habits helps to build discipline.

Every time, I have the urge to pick up the phone I should think why I am doing it therefore find that clear internal reason to resist the urge.

And when I fall off the wagon, these are the times I need to be more forgiving.

In time understanding why you are doing something negative, helps you to relax in the moment and you will need less of those energy draining moments to eliminate the habit from your life.

The tools and techniques that are promoted help. But remember, they are like after New Year’s Day at the gym, everyone tries them but few stick with them.

There must be more than a surface reason to eliminate a bad habit or stick with a good one and it is important you search for the ‘true why’ in your life to help you form these habits.