Wellness Tip:

Go Analog to Measure Time

Too much screen time isn’t healthy. We all know this, but it’s a hard habit to break. One easy thing to change? Stop using your phone to measure time. 

You’ve probably heard the tip of using an old-school alarm clock to start the day without a screen. That’s what Charlie Kirkham, this week’s featured guest, does. 

But she also takes it one step further: she uses a sand hourglass timer to track her work blocks. 

“Physically monitoring time is a great way to stay focused, to enjoy the flow of the day and to notice how time moves fast or slow depending on how we feel,” says Charlie. “On high-energy days, the sand moves quickly, and I look at an empty hourglass before I know it. On low-energy days, every grain seems to drop in slow motion.”

Keeping your timer screen-free has a practical benefit: research shows phone notifications can disrupt our attention, even when we don’t pick up the device. Using a separate timer gives you one less reason to reach for your phone—and makes it easier to leave it on silent and out of reach. 🧘

Routine Breakdown

Charlie Kirkham, Artist, Independent Curator & Parent

An Art Curator’s Simple Trick for Screen-Free Focus

Charlie Kirkham starts the day with gratitude, sunlight, and family time. Here’s her full routine.

The Routine:

• Gives thanks. “Every morning when I wake up I say “Thank You” to the higher power (whatever that may be). I acknowledge with thanks the basics: I can breathe, I can move, I have been blessed with another day to try again.”
• No screens before sunlight. “My old school alarm clock stops me looking at a screen the moment I wake up, which means after my expression of gratitude I move onto some cool water and open up the blinds in the kitchen. Non-negotiable is sunlight before screen time.”
• Family time and breakfast. “I wake up before my children, which means I can take a few moments to plan my day, enjoy a quiet coffee and breathe before getting everyone else ready. Family time first thing is a great way to reconnect with everyone before we part ways for the day ahead.”
• Commute and drop-offs. “After dropping off the children I commute to my studio. I put a podcast on for the final part of my commute with big boss energy, like Codie Sanchez or Diary of a CEO, to help get into that frame of mind before I arrive at work. It’s the switch from caring parent to big boss.”
• Uses a sand hourglass. “It keeps me on track without needing to resort to using a phone, this stops me getting distracted. I work in a 45 minute focus / 15 minute chill flow on low-energy days. For high-energy days often the sand has run out and I haven’t noticed as I’m in the creative zone. That’s how I protect the creative space.”

Why it works:

• Gratitude is super well backed by research. As Harvard Health says, it “enhances health, brings happiness – and may even lengthen lives.” 🙏
• You know how it is: you go to turn off your alarm or check the time, and suddenly you’re deep in a social media rabbit hole. Research shows that using “analog zeitgebers” like analog alarm clocks and wristwatches can help reduce that trap.
• Family time is pretty magical. It reduces stress and boosts health, among other benefits. 
• Listening to inspiring podcasts is never a bad idea: it expands our minds and primes us for what we want to achieve next. Best of all, they’re free!

What helps you get into the right mindset before you start your workday?