A mental health reset: How to manage phone habits, sleep, and relationships to improve life

As she approaches a milestone birthday, Dr. Batya L. Ludman is reevaluating her lifestyle and seeking improvements, encouraging readers to do the same. Her personal goal is not just to live longer, but to live better by embracing physical and mental challenges.

Ludman emphasizes the importance of changing one's relationship with their phone, citing its negative impact on focus, presence in relationships, and time management. She advocates for silencing phones, turning off notifications, and implementing a seven-hour "do not disturb" period nightly, while acknowledging her own need for further improvement.

The author also stresses the significance of sleep, noting that she functions better with more than six hours of rest. She highlights the need for a conducive sleep environment, dark, quiet, cool, and free from phone use during bedtime routines. Ludman also touches upon eating habits, mentioning her pescatarian Mediterranean diet and avoidance of late-night dining, though she admits to a weakness for chocolate.