I tried willpower for six months. It does not work against algorithmic content designed by teams of engineers to defeat willpower.
What worked:
- Phone charges in a different room from where I sleep. Non-negotiable.
- DNS-level blocking of short-form video domains. I use a Pi-hole.
- Physical alarm clock. The phone is no longer the first thing I touch.
- Laptop stays in one room. That room is for work and practice. Not for consumption.
- Kindle for reading. Not the Kindle app on my phone — the device.
Standing Δ: +35 → +55 over four months. The largest single contributor was sleep improvement from not scrolling before bed.
Design your environment. Do not negotiate with your impulses.