During our last German Caribbean Rebels call, Andrea shared a beautiful play on words with us that a friend had passed on to her. What does the German word “reich” – meaning “rich” – actually mean? The English prefix “re” can mean “back.” And what remains? “Ich” – the German word for “I” or “me.” RE-ICH. Back to myself. Of course, this isn’t the linguistic origin of the German word “reich.” But what a beautiful thought. I had never looked at that word this way before.
Following last week’s inspiration about our phones, I received so much feedback from you. Thank you for that. So, connecting the ideas of RE-ICH and our phones, I’d like to share another thought with you today, based on a very interesting study.
For the study, 467 people agreed to switch off the internet on their smartphones for two weeks. Not the smartphone itself. They could still make phone calls and send text messages. And they could still use the internet on their computers, check their emails, and browse the web. Only that little gateway to an infinite world in their pocket was closed. No Googling, no social media, and no checking news updates in between. No more: “I’ll just have a quick look …”
Two weeks.
And this is where it gets interesting. The results showed improvements in subjective well-being and mental health, as well as in people’s ability to sustain their attention for longer periods of time. More than 90 percent of the participants improved in at least one of these three areas.
The researchers also found that people spent their time differently. Among other things, they spent more time connecting with people face-to-face, exercising, being in nature, and enjoying leisure activities. At the same time, they reported feeling more socially connected and more in control of their own behavior.
You know, maybe the real challenge isn’t that we use our phones. Between you and me, I love my phone. It navigates me through unfamiliar cities, allows me to work from almost anywhere, helps me stay in touch with the people I love, lets me capture so many wonderful moments, plays my music, and helps me organize my everyday life. And yes, every now and then I even use it to make a phone call. You know, old-school and all that.
For me, the real issue begins somewhere else: when I’m no longer the one deciding when and where I give away my attention.
A pop-up appears – click. My phone vibrates – click. A message arrives – click. I’m standing somewhere with nothing to do for 30 seconds – click. And suddenly, 15 minutes are gone. Not because I consciously decided, “I’d like to spend the next 15 minutes on Instagram.” But because my fingers made the decision faster than I did.
And that, to me, is where self-leadership begins. We constantly talk about taking our lives into our own hands, pursuing our goals, having clarity, and making decisions. But how are we supposed to lead our lives if we can’t even lead our own attention?
Perhaps attention has become one of the most valuable currencies of our time. Because where your attention goes, your energy goes. And that influences how you think, feel, and act. “Where attention goes, energy flows,” as the saying goes.
And there was another fascinating aspect of the study. Of the 467 people who voluntarily signed up, only about one in four met the predefined criterion of keeping the internet block active for at least ten of the fourteen days. These were people who had **voluntarily** joined a study because they wanted to spend less time on their smartphones. And still, it was difficult.
Maybe this study can help us wake up a little and ask ourselves whether we really have our phones in our hands – or whether, sometimes, our phones have us. Because if we’re being truthful with ourselves, how often do we overestimate our “free will” while automatically swiping across our screens, guided by pop-ups and pings?
Am I going to put my smartphone away and reactivate my old Nokia 6210? No. Definitely not. And I’m not going to tell you that I’ll be spending the next two weeks without mobile internet either. But there is something else I want to try: I want to decide more often before my finger decides for me.
Do I really need my phone right now? Am I consciously choosing to look something up? Or am I reaching for it simply because three seconds of emptiness have appeared and – heaven forbid – I might actually get bored?
Maybe we can try a little experiment together this week. The next time you go for a walk, leave your phone at home. Go grocery shopping without it. And definitely leave it behind the next time you meet up with friends. And – note to self – when you go to the bathroom, leave your phone wherever it is. Make the “quiet place” quiet again. Take a moment just for yourself.
Not because smartphones are bad. But because your attention belongs to you.
And perhaps this is where the circle closes and brings us back to Andrea’s thought from the beginning.
RE-ICH. Back to myself.
For me, this is where inner clarity begins. It’s less about whether or not we should use technology. It’s about a much more important question: Who is actually leading whom?
