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Happy Monday, fam!

here* is what we’ve got this week:

• News: Side hustle culture is burning people out (shocking) and AI is impacting our cognitive abilities more than we think (double shocking) 🤯 

• Wellness: The internet is loving the latest mental health trend, getting that sweet “sunflower time” during a busy workday. 🌻 

• Resources: A recent study followed nearly 500 people who went smartphone free for a month. The results are in — and we’re inspired. 📱 

• Mea culpe! If you tried to download the Bare Minimum Mental Health Challenge Google calendar last week and found nothing but a broken link, we’ve got a fresh link for you (and our sincere apologies) 😗 

Mental health and work are ever-evolving (it’s exhausting). here* is the latest.

• Yale’s Laurie Santos has a new online course for parents to improve their own well-being in an age of increasing parental anxiety and stress (Yale)

• New study shows that hustle culture is burning people out, especially young people (Vice)

• AI might feel like a wonder-tool but new research measures it’s impact on cognition — and it ain’t looking good (Psychology Today)

There are only 24 hours in the day. here* are your weekly wellness shortcuts.

• Try these 3 things to tackle imposter syndrome today.

• Here are 5 recommended veggies that experts say can increase happiness.

• When you need a break from fluorescent lighting, head outside for some “sunflower time” and see how you feel.

Things we’re loving atm.

• The Five Minute Journal that never fails 📓 

• Amanda Litman’s debut book When We’re in Charge: The Next Generation’s Guide to Leadership 🤝 

• All the free mental health downloads here* 🖥️ 

🌀You’re entering a dimension not of space or time, but of constant push notifications. 🌀

Most of us reach for our phones without thinking. In line at the grocery store. Between meetings. Right before bed. The reflex is so baked in we rarely stop to ask: What is this doing to me?

In February, NPR reported on a new study aimed at testing the theory that constant connection to everything, all the time, has unintended consequences. Participants disconnected from the internet on their phones for one month and after a just two weeks, the results were clear.

Anxiety, depression, and smartphone “addiction” scores dropped significantly.
Participants also reported physical health benefits like improved sleep and and cognitive improvements like better concentration.

The modern anxiety loop

It goes a little something like this.

We check our phones to regulate.
To soothe boredom.
To feel connected.
To make the discomfort go away.

But the content we find—breaking news, curated experiences, funny memes—usually spikes the very anxiety we’re trying to calm.

So we check again.

That’s the loop. And the nervous system doesn’t get to recover in it. There’s no resolution. Just more stimulation.

This is why the study matters. Not because people gave up their phones. But because they interrupted a cycle long enough to see what else might be possible.

A quieter way forward

We don’t need to delete everything. We don’t need to disappear. We just need space.

Something to try for the next two weeks:

• Turn off all non-essential notifications

• Set one hour a day as phone-free (mornings, meals, or pre-bedtime are good starts)

• Move high-use apps off your home screen

• Track how you feel after each phone check—more regulated, or more anxious?

  Small steps can be a big reset for your attention. And maybe your nervous system, too.

Ready to unplug?

If you’re in Indianapolis, join us this summer for one (or all) of our free gatherings to unplug.

Unplug at Spades Park in the morning (Near East Side Indianapolis) 🌳 ☀️ 

• Sunday, June 15

• Sunday, July 6

• Sunday, August 3

• Sunday, September 7

Unplug at Gather22 in the evening (Fall Creek Place Indianapolis) ☀️🍷 

• Wednesday, July 2

• Wednesday, August 6

• Wednesday, September 3

If you’re not in Indianapolis but want a simple, research-backed guide to interrupt the loop, reply to this email and we’ll send you a 14-day smartphone reset, including:

• Daily digital hygiene prompts

• A phone check-in log

• Boundaries you can actually stick to

• A screen-free hour tracker

That’s all for this week.

We’ll be back in your inbox next Monday. Until then, we’d love to hear from you. Let us know what content you liked or what you’d like to see more of in the next issue. You can always reply to this email for a response from me!

<3

here* fam

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