Finding your Way back to Yourself
- Kerry Trevett
- May 10
- 3 min read
Updated: May 12
Let me be honest with you.
I have been that person. Working and scrolling at midnight.
Checking notifications before my feet hit the floor, using my phone as a comfort blanket when the world felt too much.
In 2023 and 2024 I was online heavily for my work as a coach. For a while it was exciting and supportive It connected me to my work, my network and my purpose.
Our government changed and it became overwhelming, the world was changing rapidly and being a highly receptive person the misinformation was deeply challenging to consume.
Other people’s highlight reels quietly dismantled my sense
of self worth before I had even had my morning cup of tonic! Don't get me started on comparison being the thief of joy...
I had to find my way back. And I am, with consistent healthier habits well I am trying!
The Reality
The average person now spends over five hours a day on their smartphone and checks it
up to 186 times a day. The research is as clear as day. The more time we spend doom scrolling, the lonelier, more anxious and more disconnected from ourselves and the people around us we become.
Loneliness and phone dependency are directly linked, I'm not saying technology isn't supportive it is, however we are using it to fill a gap that only real human connection can fill.
This unsettles me and why I am working on regenerative education... Children as young as three are swiping screens before they have learned to turn the pages of a book. The tactile experience of exploring textures, building with their hands and developing through play is being replaced by a glass screen.
The impact on children’s attention spans, emotional regulation and social development
is significant. And it has become so normalised that we barely notice it.
Our children learn from watching us, we have to place our phones away from us at home by the door, or away from your work space... why do we need them at every given moment if you are already working from one device?
This is important how you start your day....
The first thirty minutes of your day set the tone for everything that follows.
When you wake up, cortisol is naturally elevated. Your brain is in a receptive, open state.
It is the most powerful window of the day for setting your mindset and emotional baseline.
Most of us spend it looking at other people’s lives.
Before you reach for your phone, try this instead:
Think of three things you are genuinely grateful for
Stretch and breathe before you do anything else
Brush your teeth, your body has released bacteria and toxins overnight and removing them is a simple act of self care
Give yourself thirty minutes before you open any app or notification These small habits compound, they tell your nervous system, before the world gets in,
that you are safe, grounded and enough.
It takes a minimum of 21 days to begin breaking a negative habit. Phone dependency is
no different to any other compulsive behaviour, it has become a neurological pattern.
Neuroplasticity tells us the brain can change, but only if we give it the conditions to do so.
That means choosing, repeatedly and consciously, to put the phone down. To be
present and to reach for real connection instead of consumption!
Healthier Habits for You, Your Teams and Your Families
Whether you are leading a team, raising children or simply trying to feel more like yourself, these habits make a real difference:
Set phone free time in your home, particularly during meals and the first hour of the morning
Remove social media apps from your home screen so they require a conscious decision to access
Use your phone intentionally, for work, for learning, for genuine connection, time block and set DND
Take a digital break once a week, even a few hours makes a measurable difference to focus and mood
Model the behaviour you want to see, in your children, your teams and yourself
The Bigger Picture
People are lonelier than ever, but we are in control of this and our time. Workplace disconnection is at record levels and we know the statistics on mental health and burnout.
Meaningful relationships are harder to sustain in a world where we are simultaneously more connected and more alone than at any point in history.
Only we can change that. Not an app. Not an algorithm. Us.
Find your way back to the people in the room with you. Back to nature. Back to the
conversations that actually matter. Control the controllable...
When we consistently communicate, with ourselves, our families and our teams, we will
always be connected.
That is where peace of mind begins and it starts the moment you wake up.
Kerry Trevett is the founder of Green Solutions Group, working at the intersection of
wellness, sustainability and green business.
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