week 3: singular things

this week on the little dream farm

What a lovely winter sunrise!

At the start of the year I mentioned on our Instagram I was reading a book a client of mine recommended, Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari.

It wasn’t lost on me that when I downloaded the book I began reading it on my phone while walking on the treadmill at the gym.

If you watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix back in 2020 then the concept of this book will feel familiar—it’s a deep dive into how our phones and screens and social media and the constant barrage of distractions from notifications and are vastly diminishing our ability to focus and stealing our joy, happiness, mental wellbeing, empathy, and health in the process.

Heading into the holiday season I’d already been thinking a lot about reducing screen time, logging out of Netflix, and staying off social media (still intending to share things on social but not spending time hanging out there) in the coming year. So this book sealed the deal for me.

In the first few weeks of this new year I’ve gone cold turkey and some interesting things have happened.

The first week of the year I was stunned by the almost unconscious reflex to reach for my phone or thumb to social apps during moments of down time. I have a huge reading list and a stack of books to break into, so I’ve spent far more time reading as of late. These two things combined—going cold turkey on being on social and replacing it with reading—have felt like the biggest positive impact to the following two weeks.

I then started doing small experiments for fun. I went to an appointment with Chris and sat in the waiting room while he was seen and left my phone in my purse and just sat idle for the half hour. It seems like such a small and insignificant thing but it had a big impact.

In the second week I started to go back to doing singularly-focused things. These days, everything is multi-tasking. Listening to a book or a podcast while doing a chore. Working on something while having ten other tabs open. Eating while looking at the phone. So in week two I went back to doing one thing at a time—eating and just eating, walking outside and just walking outside, cleaning the house and just cleaning the house. This has made each individual thing feel more special, more intentional, more important, and more enjoyable.

In just a few weeks, my mind is clearer. I feel so much more peace and calm. My creativity has been off the charts. I’ve been sleeping better. I’ve enjoyed what feels like more quiet and stillness. I can hear myself think. I don’t feel like I’m rushing from one thing to the next. I’ve been obsessed with the books I’m reading.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed stealing back my own focus.

What does this have to do with the farm or a weekly Farm Note? Oh, it’s everything! This week I’ve had the thought that if I feel this good now from just several weeks like this while it’s freezing cold and the days are short and we’re mostly inside, imagine how I might feel in the spring and summer when there’s so much to enjoy outside!

Consider this like a Sarah’s Favorites—I’m sharing this current favorite thing in case you’d been feeling the same way and—perhaps like reading the Stolen Focus book did for me—this is maybe the nudge that seals the deal for you.

And anyway—I’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic in the comments today, so do tell me what’s on your mind if you care to share!!

If you pick up the book or decide to venture into a little experiment of your own, I’d love to hear about it and what you think.

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