IPhone Was Running My Life. These Analog Tools Helped Me Take It Back.

Elissa Sanci describes how her iPhone quietly became the center of her daily routine—and how she tried, for months, to make it less influential without losing essential tools. The turning point came after testing “the Brick,” an app-blocking device that reduced screen time and changed her relationship with her phone. With smartphone apps tied to her calendar, to-do list, workouts, and alarms, she couldn’t simply quit the iPhone. Instead, she shifted to more analog alternatives for “frivolous” functions, reducing dependency while keeping needs like GPS, online banking, and QR codes. The result, she says, was better attention span, productivity, and mental health.