Napoleon told his secretary to wait three weeks before opening any of his mail. When he finally heard what was in the letters, most of the ‘important’ issues had resolved themselves and no longer required a reply.

This resonated because recently I’ve been drowning in information. I’ve developed a habit of scrolling minute-by-minute news coverage and watching further analysis on YouTube.

After yet another week-long news binge I decided enough was enough.

As I sat down to plan a three-week news detox I wondered if I would feel disconnected. Would I miss something I needed to know? Would I actually be able to do this?

Pushing past these fears, I locked myself out of the sites which had been frying my brain. BBC news was first to go. Then Twitter. Then YouTube. And finally Facebook.

About a minute after blocking these sites I thought to myself — “I could just check the BBC, I mean, the news detox doesn’t begin until tomorrow…”

Week 1

During the first few days I experienced a sense of euphoria. The only thing I can compare this to is the time I quit smoking — I’d succeeded in wrestling back power and become the agent of my own decisions again.

For the first two nights I went to bed at eight and didn’t wake up until seven the next morning. The moment I unplugged I realised how tired I was, and with nothing to watch or read I began to listen to my body rather than the pull of the screen. 

Like most people I usually spend my days running from task to task — complaining there are too few hours in the day. But all of a sudden I was getting my tasks done with time to spare. This was a revelation. I’ve been looking for ways to maximise productivity for years. I’ve downloaded the apps, I’ve read the books, I’ve implemented crazy morning routines and laborious evening rituals, but I never considered the solution might be taking something away.

I also realised it wasn’t just the physical hours I spent on news sites which stole so much of my time but the mental noise which came with it. When you read about the horrific things humans have done in a day you don’t just forget them. The news stays with you, it nags at you, it makes you angry and depressed. It steals your mental energy and robs you of far more hours than you physically log.

Week 2

By week two I wanted to get out more — it was surprising how strong the impulse for human connection became. Then again perhaps I was just looking for entertainment. All of a sudden life felt very empty. Did I really want to meet more people? Or was I just seeking a distraction from my own thoughts?

Such questions reminded me of an interview with a comedian. Driving to a gig he began to feel sad, so he instinctively reached for his phone to distract himself. Then he thought — “maybe I should sit with these feelings for once and see what they’re trying to tell me.” So he pulled over, and ten seconds later he began to cry.

The second week also saw the arrival of boredom. At first I tried to stave this off with pointless tasks, but then I remembered the Einstein quote: “Creativity is the residue of time wasted — the trouble is we live in an age in which we never give ourselves the chance to be bored.” So I tried to embrace the boredom instead.

This strategy prompted numerous lows, including becoming so bored during a lunch-break I went outside to look at a tree. They say nature is the best teacher, so I expected some kind of mind-blowing discovery, but the only thing which came to mind was — “it’s bloody freezing out here”. So I traipsed back to my office — now so bored I almost threw myself out of the window.  

Week 3

By week three I had grown accustomed to the boredom. Life seemed slower, I felt less stressed, and even though I had a lot of work to do there seemed to be enough time. Not reading the news had become the new normal: when we are determined to break a habit it is amazing how quickly we can adapt.

I had no idea what Donald Trump had been doing for the past few weeks, but when I looked out of the window the world was still standing and the trees were still there — mocking me with their lack of information.  

Will I continue with the detox beyond the three weeks?

I’d like to say yes, but I know how these things go. The benefits become so commonplace you forget why you kicked the habit in the first place — which is how I started smoking again.

That said, the detox was certainly eye-opening. The dehumanising effect of the internet takes on a whole new meaning when you see first-hand what it’s been doing to you. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself. I’ll be applauding from afar — probably hunched over my computer and chewing my cheeks at the news.