My phone didn’t charge properly, and it transformed my morning.

I definitely spend far too much time on my phone. I know it’s not good for my brain, my productivity - hell, even my posture. But it’s allure of connecting with people, plus those repeated tiny dopamine hits, is just too much to resist. 

I’ve tried to set rules about what I can and can’t do: no scrolling on socials in bed, daily time limits, all the usual stuff. And yet… it still feels like too much – especially in the mornings.

My brain and body are tired, and reaching for my phone seems to offer some kind of rest that I want, but I’m not actually getting (because I still need to get ready and start the day).

The accidental experiment

Then one night, my phone didn’t charge properly. I woke up with 50% battery – and immediately knew it wouldn’t last me through the day and evening. If I didn’t charge it now, I’d run out later.

And somehow, that was enough of a prompt to just… leave it on charge and do something else. 

I took my kindle with me to the bathroom instead (TMI? Come on, we all do it 😉). When doing my skincare and hair I did one thing at a time (shocking!). 

Using my phone on purpose

I still used my phone when it actually served me – for example, to listen to a podcast during my workout.

But otherwise, it just sat there charging.

I didn’t feel pulled to it, like I was serving it (which is often how it feels). Instead, I was deciding when to use it.

My brain felt calmer. I got ready more quickly. And yes, I absolutely felt smug about it 😏

What I’d accidentally created: a commitment device

What I’d unintentionally created was a commitment device - something we do now to help with our self-control later.

The idea is that a choice we make in advance creates a “cost” if we don’t stick to our future plans. In this case, if I’d used my phone this morning instead of leaving it charging, I’d have paid the price later by running out of battery while I was out.

The choice we make in advance (not charging my phone) creates a cost when we then don’t stick to our future plans (if I hadn’t left it charging, I’d have run out of battery later today while I’m out).

That cost doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes it’s just friction: creating a bit of hassle. App limit timers are a form of friction. So is leaving your phone in another room overnight.

Different kinds of commitment devices

The “cost” can take different forms:

• Frictional: making something slightly more annoying or inconvenient (like my above example)

• Financial: apps where you lose money if you don’t stick to a goal, or even paying for a subscription you don’t want to waste

• Social: committing to a class with a friend, where dropping out means letting someone else down

A note of caution (especially for health behaviours)

When it comes to health behaviours, I’d use commitment devices carefully.

Applied to eating and exercise, they can sometimes backfire - making us feel constrained, rebellious, or obligated. Not keeping certain foods in the house, for example, can increase cravings and lead to overeating when we do encounter them. And when behaviour change starts to feel like an obligation, long-term motivation suffers.

Why this one felt different

With my phone use, though, this felt freeing.

Yes, past me was controlling present me - but that felt better than my phone controlling me instead. When used well, commitment devices can be a genuine gift to your future self.

So now I’m going to experiment with this deliberately.

Tonight, I’m intentionally not going to charge my phone – just to see if I can recreate the same magic tomorrow morning.

How might you want to use commitment devices?