The person I spend the least time with is me.

My belief was that I don’t spend enough time with my family and friends. I am physically around them: out on trips, casual meetings, having a meal together or just sharing the room. I had convinced myself that I don’t give them enough attention as I am too connected to my phone or iPad or laptop. I spent that time replying to emails, SMS, DMs, inquiries or even doom-scrolling with people around me. Managed to concretely form the idea that I am becoming anti-social.

This had to change. No more screens during social interactions, I am going to be fully invested. Deleted the few games that I had, got rid of the unnecessary apps, and added some productivity ones. Done! New day, new me!

Okay, that was a good start. Off to real conversations, creating memories, living in the moment and shit things like that!

Ooh boy, was I wrong in my approach.

A Personal Realization: One conclusion I made on day one was that everyone, almost everyone, is the same. It was challenging to come across a moment where someone didn’t glance at a screen.

That wasn’t the biggest wake-up call either. It was the fact that I knew nothing about myself. Forget others - me, the mind inside my body, or the body controlled by my mind or however it is supposed to work.

I had defined myself by my routine, my habits, and my profession. I no longer had time for myself, to discover the other sides of me - if they existed. You might be thinking this is rubbish but when you were a kid you wanted to be an astronaut one day, a doctor the next and a sailor the day after? Where did all that disappear? Where did the drive go?

I thought I was living a very healthy life these days. Wake up by 6, go for a walk or jog, have a self-prepared breakfast after a nice shower, then head to work. I was not hearing what my mind or body had to say while I was doing any of these. During all these activities I had my airpods stuffed in my ear playing music or some podcast (except when I was showering - it was on speakers at the time).

Come to think of it, I can’t even fall asleep without some background ‘noise’. Are the thoughts in my head that boring? Or is it that I can’t handle or confront them? I am sure I am not the only one here.

So, conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, I do not spend time with myself. Or, at least, I am the person I spend the least time with - at least I engage in conversation with others.

I won’t say turning over a new leaf as it only has two sides and this is probably my eighth side in 2026 - to the new me trying to spend time with myself by putting to paper whatever my mind has to say. I actually wrote it in a notebook first before going digital.

Let me know if you can relate.

Cheers!