Being particular will save your life.

For starters, I only communicate with a handful of people that I know and trust. Next to that, I tell each and every individual what I’m doing, so we have an understanding of the schedule I keep.

I listen to music more than anything – I don’t need the screen on to enjoy myself. When I illustrate digitally, I give myself a couple of hours. If I am tired of frustrated…I stay away from my device altogether.

I will watch one show or movie at a time, I do this with my children as well. They get an hour on the phone, tablet or my laptop. And then they’re meant to do something else. Usually, it’s reading, art or Lego world building! They also enjoy music quite a bit.

I have an iPhone, so I set the “Do Not Disturb” setting to “Personal.” It automatically turns on during certain times when my device has picked up that I’m busy or relaxing. Only six numbers are allowed to message and call me. Everyone else gets sent to voicemail or I answer their text when I feel the need.

This has helped substantially, and I really like my alone time. Recently, I’ve added stepping off of social media from Friday evening until Sunday evening. I make the announcement, especially on threads and Snapchat. Then I enjoy my me time!