UNPLUG TO RECHARGE
Unplug to Recharge: How Solution Focused Hypnotherapy Can Help You Rebalance Your Relationship with Your Smartphone
It’s amazing how something that fits in the palm of your hand can take up so much space in your life. Smartphones keep us connected, informed, entertained — and often, a little addicted, a problem even I sometimes struggle with. Whether it’s the endless scroll before bed, pointlessly looking at a social network app whilst in a conversation with someone (and wondering why), checking notifications mid-conversation, or feeling that phantom buzz in your pocket, many of us are realising that our phones might be using us more than we’re using them.
The Hidden Cost of Constant Connection
Our brains are wired to seek reward and novelty — and smartphone app providers know it and take advantage of that. Every ping, like, or message gives us a little hit of dopamine, that feel-good neurotransmitter that says, “Nice! Do that again.” Over time, these quick bursts of pleasure can train our brains into habitual checking, creating a loop that can increase stress, reduce focus, and even interfere with our sleep and relationships.
Here’s a sobering thought: if you spend just four hours a day on your smartphone — scrolling, messaging, browsing — that adds up to around 60 full days a year spent on your black mirror. Two whole months of your life, gone in notifications and newsfeeds.
When Authority Speaks: Princess Katherine’s Warning
Just recently, Princess Katherine (Princess of Wales) has added her voice to the concern. In a co-authored essay with Harvard’s Robert Waldinger, she warned that excessive screen time is fuelling what she calls an “epidemic of disconnection.”
She argues that digital devices, while promising connectivity, often do the opposite — fragmenting our focus, making us mentally absent even when physically present, and weakening our ability to form warm, meaningful relationships. She also revealed that she and Prince William have a strict no-phones rule for their children, to protect undistracted family time.
Her intervention isn’t just royal commentary — it echoes what many of us already feel: that screens can subtly erode presence, attention, and the quality of our connections.
The Mind’s Need for Balance
When we spend too much time in this hyper-alert, notification-driven state, our primitive brain — the part that governs anxiety, stress, and emotional response — starts to take over. We might find ourselves snapping more easily, struggling to concentrate, or feeling restless when things go quiet.
What our brains really need is balance: moments of calm, focus, and genuine human connection. That’s where Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) can make a world of difference.
How Solution Focused Hypnotherapy Helps
SFH is all about helping you regain control — not by battling your habits, but by redirecting your attention toward what empowers you, what you want, and what you already do well.
Through calming induction and suggestion, hypnotherapy helps quiet the reactive, scattered part of your mind and strengthens your inner ‘observer’ — the part that can say:
“Pause. Notice the urge to scroll.”
“This moment is more valuable than one more scroll.”
“I choose when to pick up the phone, not the other way around.”
Clients often find they:
Feel more present — in conversations, in life
Sleep more deeply (especially when phones are kept out of the bedroom)
Reconnect with their core values, goals, and interests
Build healthier habits around technology instead of being controlled by it
Reclaiming Your Focus — and Your Peace
Smartphones aren’t villains — they are powerful tools. But like any tool, they work best when we wield them intentionally, not instinctively. Solution Focused Hypnotherapy gives you the mental clarity and reinforcement to reclaim control, quiet the internal noise, and show up more fully in your life.
If you’re ready to take back those 60 days, re-balance your mind, and re-invest in real connection — I’d love to help.
Book a free consultation with me, I’m based in Shoreham, between Brighton & Hove and Worthing, but work on line (via Zoom) to make session’s much more convenient for you, and let’s start crafting a healthier relationship with your mind and your phone.