Unplugging · Eye strain relief, the meaning of boredom, and a walk without your phone

The Weekly Reset

The 20-20-20 Rule

Let’s start small. If you’ve ever ended the day with tired eyes and a foggy brain, this one’s for you.

The 20-20-20 rule is a quick, optometrist-approved trick to reduce eye strain and break the mental loop of screen fatigue:

Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

That’s it. Just pause, shift your focus, and let your brain reset — even briefly.

I’ve been doing this regularly over the last few weeks, and I can genuinely feel the difference. It breaks the rhythm of scrolling or intense work, and it reminds me to breathe, stretch, and come back to what I’m doing with a bit more clarity.

Signal vs. Noise

This week, I want to share an article that struck a nerve with me:

👉 Boredom Is a Quiet Teacher – Psyche Magazine

It’s about something we usually run from — boredom. That subtle discomfort that creeps in when we’re not entertained, stimulated, or distracted. The thing we usually silence by reaching for our phones.

But the article offers a different perspective:

“Boredom isn’t an absence — it’s an invitation.”

It argues that boredom isn’t a problem to be solved, but a space where something else can surface — self-reflection, creativity, or even just presence. When we resist it, we miss what it's trying to tell us. When we lean into it, we might find direction, clarity, or simply... ourselves.

Here’s what stayed with me:

• Boredom has value. It signals that something’s off — not just in our surroundings, but in ourselves.

• We’ve trained ourselves to avoid it through constant stimulation. Every spare moment is a chance to scroll, swipe, check.

• Discomfort is not danger. Sitting with a few minutes of nothing might be the most human thing we can do today.

It’s not preachy. It’s quiet and considered — the kind of thing I think you’ll appreciate, especially if you’ve been craving more space in your head lately.

Let me know what you think if you read it. I’d love to hear what boredom’s been trying to say to you.

A Moment Offline

Yesterday I walked around for an hour without my phone. I didn’t plan it. I just left, keys in one pocket, a shopping list in the other, and my dog trotting beside me.

It wasn’t some profound, life-altering experiment. No epiphany. But something felt... lighter. I walked slower. I looked up. I paid more attention to the pavement under my feet, the trees above me, and the way Catalina sniffed every single lamppost like it mattered.

No music, no messages, no checking how many steps I’d done. Just walking and just being.

I didn’t feel “productive.” I felt unbothered. And maybe that’s not revolutionary, but it felt rare — and good enough.

If you haven’t in a while, maybe take a walk without your phone, too. Even just five minutes. No agenda, no podcast — just the sound of your steps and the world doing its thing around you. You might not notice anything at all. Or you might notice everything.

See you next week,
Miguel

P.S. I’m working on some resources to help you on your digital detox journey — checklists, guides, and simple tools to make unplugging feel less overwhelming and more doable. I’ll share them with you very soon.