Ditching the Earbuds - My 30-Day Experiment

Recently, I conducted a little "experiment" on myself: I decided to stop using small, wireless earbuds for 30 days. Before this, I used them quite a lot - while doing household chores, running, and even sometimes while eating. I mostly listened to audiobooks or podcasts on topics that interest me, and much less often, music. I wanted to share my thoughts and feelings after this period.

Where did this idea come from, and why 30 days? First off, I enjoy observing myself. I realized I'd been feeling somewhat distracted for a long time, and thought maybe it was worth trying a change. Perhaps I didn't need to constantly feed my brain with so much information? Maybe I could focus better on one thing at a time and even allow myself a bit of boredom. In short, less stimulation. As for the timeframe, based on some research I read, two weeks might not be enough to truly break a habit - and that's how I'd started to perceive my earbud usage.

Here are my observations from during and after this period:

• My creativity skyrocketed: I notice this especially at work (I work in IT). I have more ideas, I get more done in less time, which frees up more time for other activities. Ideas now pop up unexpectedly, just like they used to - in the shower, while making sandwiches, etc. (in moments completely unrelated to work).
• Concentration is much easier: I find it significantly easier to focus, particularly when learning something new.
• More awareness when running: When I run outdoors, I pay more attention to my surroundings, like the sounds of nature in the forest. I've always enjoyed this, but in recent years, I felt something was off' or 'different. Now I see it was likely due to the constant overstimulation.
• Occasional "racing thoughts": Sometimes, especially during runs, my mind wanders, thinking about many different things, and I'm not fully in the here and now. However, I don't see this negatively; apparently, my mind needed that space to process things.
• Not feeling behind: I don't feel like I'm falling behind on the topics that interest me, which podcasts used to cover. Instead, I now engage with them by reading articles or watching videos (but focusing solely on that one activity at the time).

For me, the results have been overwhelmingly positive, and I'm seriously considering maintaining this change. I even decided to get rid of those small earbuds altogether.

After the 30 days, I was slightly tempted to listen to something (maybe music) while running or gardening, but... that feels deceptive. I might fool myself into thinking it's okay, but I suspect that, subtly, I'd just become distracted again. Besides, I think I have compulsive tendencies - I tend to either avoid something completely or do it very intensely. So, I don't trust myself to keep it under control and only listen occasionally. Sooner or later, I'd likely fall back into the old habit.

Everyone is different, so I'm not claiming you'll have the same experience. Nevertheless, if any of this resonates with you, I highly recommend giving it a try!