By Aharon Loschak
What if I told you that one small action could change your life? What if a single decision could dramatically improve every single morning from here on?
Well, here it is:
Don’t look at your phone from the moment you wake up until after davening shacharis. Every day.
Now, before you roll your eyes or think, “That’s way too hard—I can’t do that!” hear me out. Let’s consider this together.
I get it. You’re busy. You have a lot going on. Your phone works as your alarm clock, and there are so many pressing things to take care of right away. There are probably a hundred loose ends still dangling from the night before that need immediate attention before they mushroom into full-blown crises.
You may be a family man, with a wife and children to tend to. If and when you leave the house in the morning, they need to be able to get a hold of you. There are a thousand pressing needs that come up fast and furious in a bustling and boisterous frum home, and you want to be the stalwart man on call. So, of course, you need your phone with you at all time, and are checking in to see if everything is okay.
Or maybe you run a business, with many employees and moving parts to monitor and manage, not to mention decisions to make.
I understand these claims very well. I thought these very thoughts myself until not so long ago.
But here’s the honest truth: they’re not true.
Chances are, ninety nine times out of a hundred (or maybe even more), whatever is waiting on your phone in the morning will not render your life unlivable if it waits another hour or two until you’re finished davening. If you discuss this with your wife and gain her support (which is a must!), you will be shocked to discover how life indeed does go on without you at beck and call.
That said, consider the benefits:
Every morning is now entirely yours. No one infiltrates your personal space in the morning until you’re finished saying hello to your family and to your Creator. You can spend time alone in shul, genuinely connecting with Hashem (or at least trying), without any distractions buzzing in your pocket.
So many of us are used to hearing about the quality and beauty of Shabbos as an “island in time.” In a world of endless distraction and constantly being “plugged in,” Shabbos affords the time to simply be; to connect with yourself, your family, your community, and Hashem. You’ve probably heard such talk, and hopefully, have experienced it as well.
I propose that you can experience this on a micro level every day. The morning will become your mini Shabbos. Each day, as you step out of your home and enter the four walls of your local shul (or wherever you daven), you will be alone, on an island of time that’s all yours. Hey, you may even want to linger on a bit longer after davening is over.
Try it. Start with one week. Buy an alarm clock ($10 on Amazon), discuss this with your loved ones, and make a firm decision that from the moment you wake up until you walk out of shul after shachris, you will not even look at your phone.
It will change your life. Let me know how it goes!
The author would love to hear from you! If you’ve tried this idea, let me know how it’s impacting your life: [email protected]
That is the key to everything.
However some people are a social butterfly and need to be on top of the news right away. Some are introverts and need to see the news to keep in the loop of things, not to feel excluded. Each to their own.
I find if it brings me peace of mind seeing the world is okay, THEN with peace of mind I can talk to my Creator without worrying throughout davening, did the world come to an end from last night till after davening?!
Obviously not judging anyone (These are very strong Technologies with billions of dollars poured into it for this exact reason)
News sites and social media are designed to make you feel like you need to know at every moment if the world is coming to an end.
Part of this challenge is to get yourself to a place where you are perfectly comfortable and at peace without knowing all the above.
Try it. it won’t happen in one day, and I won’t be easy, but eventually you can make it there.
Ive started doing this recently best decision
It’s hard enough for us women that the men are constantly running out to daven and learn at the busiest times of day. Now you want to make them unreachable too??
Couldn’t agree more! 👏
Well that is exactly what he is advocating for
U can also Daven to
this idea is nice in moderation.
do you need him out of the house to be busy on his phone.
I’m sure if you focused on his Davening, he would be home a lot faster.
Maybe he can use a simple phone for shul.
Your kidding, seriously
Your texting your husband while hes in shul?
Tell me this is a joke?
noone is forcing you to agree…
but there are ways around that issue which still allow a certain level of quiet, such as an app lock which will restrict all apps besides basic call & SMS until a certain time
Yes, if your husband is sincerely learning and davening he should be left undisturbed.
But what if someone davens shachris at 3 pm, gets kinda difficult.
I take multiple busses and half the time the schedule updates are completely wrong.
I’ve been doing this for over a year now, and it’s had a real impact on my life. It’s like having a little bit of Shabbos every morning. I wake up refreshed, with a clear mind, and ב”ה I’m able to keep that clarity until after davening, when the hustle and bustle begins.
Honestly, this might be one of the greatest habits you can bring into your life. The mornings are a time to tune in to your true self. Leave cyberspace alone for a couple of hours — the difference it makes is remarkable.
Thanks for writing.
I (usually) do it.
It’s very rewarding.
Make it birchos hashachar, which is considered davening for many things
I don’t know what the author’s status is but for me it wouldn’t work. Shacharis is at the same time as getting me and my kids ready for school. Now tell me who would like to have their husbands in uncommunacado when you need to feed your kids breakfast, wash negl vasser get them dresses, prepare their lunches and snacks, get yourself ready as well so you can actually get to work, clean the baby, put their coats and shoes on, eat breakfast yourself AND strap them into their car seat for a ride of 30+ min cz no school… Read more »
Everyone can tweak this for what works for their family.
There are productivity setting on most phones which can block apps automatically during certain hours. It can also block calls except for certain numbers. Your husband can turn these settings on, and if you ever need him, you can call. [There’s also a setting that if someone calls twice in 15 minutes, it will go through]
Everyone can tweak these settings to their benefit. I’ve been doing this for the past while. And it’s incredible. The focus, clarity, and presence is just amazing.
thanks i love this idea after trying it one time!
Please share a link for an alarm clock that’s $10 from Amazon that works as well as the phone… (Multiple times, can snooze, different sound levels etc..)