A day in the life : Day 423

This week, I tried the trending idea of keeping a “low-input” day once a week. The concept is simple: no podcasts, no constant news, no endless scrolling. The goal is to reduce how much information you consume so your mind gets a break. After a few days of feeling mentally crowded, it sounded worth testing.

The problem showed up quickly. I’m used to filling gaps with noise — something playing while I work, something in the background while I eat. The silence felt awkward at first. I kept reaching for my phone without thinking, almost out of habit. That alone was a bit uncomfortable to notice.

Work-wise, I expected to feel bored, but the opposite happened. I finished a task that had been dragging for days simply because there was nothing else competing for my attention. Still, I did mess up once — I missed a small update because I wasn’t checking messages constantly. It caused a short delay, nothing serious, but it reminded me that balance matters. Total shutdown isn’t practical.

The weather’s been shifting too, with warmer afternoons and cooler evenings. I’ve adjusted my meals slightly — lighter food during the day, something warm at night. That combination made the quieter day feel easier on the body as well. Heavy food plus mental overload usually makes me sluggish.

By evening, my head felt clearer than usual. Not energized, just calm. The kind of calm that doesn’t need distraction.

I won’t pretend I’ll do this every week. Some days need input, ideas, and stimulation. But having one quieter day showed me how much noise I normally carry without realizing it.

Trends often sound extreme online, but when you soften them and make them practical, they can help. This one didn’t change my life, but it gave my mind a bit more room — and that felt useful.