Quitting YouTube challenge - Day 1

Day 1: Choosing to be more intentional about my evenings

I am starting a 30-day challenge to stop using YouTube for entertainment. It has become too easy to lose an evening to one video after another, leaving less time for sleep, reading, family, and the small things that keep life running well.

This is not about declaring YouTube the enemy. I can still use it when I genuinely need it for work or a household task (on the rare occasion)—but only with a clear purpose and a timer. The challenge is to break the habit of reaching for it whenever I am tired, bored or looking for relief.

Instead, I want to build evenings that feel calmer and more deliberate: a little reading, a little preparation for tomorrow, and more device-free time with my family. I will share a short update here each day—what was difficult, what helped, and what I learn along the way.

Making YouTube harder to reach

• I will remove the YouTube from my web browser, tablet and TV accounts.
• I will sign out of YouTube in browsers and turn off notifications, recommendations and autoplay.
• I will use a website/app blocker every evening, especially during my vulnerable hours.
• I will keep my phone out of the bedroom and charge it outside the room overnight.

Evening plan

1. After my evening meal: Spend fifteen minutes resetting the house—dishes, laundry, surfaces and tomorrow’s preparation.
2. Afterwards: Complete one small work or household commitment for 25 minutes, then stop.
3. Connection: Give family members intentional, device-free attention.
4. Wind-down: read a physical book for thirty minutes, prepare for bed and leave devices outside the bedroom.

I am hoping that these small steps will help me develop a new routine for my evenings. One day, I would like to quit YouTube consumption altogether but I know breaking a bad habit is more realistic with smaller habit changes.

As always, thank you for reading my blog.

Mark