You should use your AirPods less. This might be a broad statement, especially considering I don't know who is reading this article, but I firmly believe it applies to most of us.
AirPods (and their competitors) have been a game-changer. Before them, you could listen to media continuously, but cables got in the way and, in practice, we used earbuds more selectively.
At the same time, content available for listening has exploded. With YouTube, audiobooks, Netflix, and so on, it is impossible not to have something to listen to. And recommendation algorithms have never been better, so you know that if you open the app, there's a high likelihood you'll find something appealing to watch or listen to.
With these two factors, some of us have minimized to the extreme the amount of time we do not listen to anything. It doesn't matter if you're walking down the street, tidying up at home, or getting ready for work, there's always something on.
Lately, I've been more mindful of this constant distraction. It's a distraction because it isn't entertainment or learning; as you are, by definition, doing something else, you're distracted and only vaguely pay attention. It's a wasted opportunity on two levels.
First, if you were really going to entertain yourself, you're wasting the content. If there's a YouTube video that I look forward to watching, I've been trying to force myself to sit down, pause, and fully enjoy it.
Second, it doesn't give your mind the opportunity to take a break. Even if you're not fully attentive, your mind is still partially processing the content. This constant work accumulates. You also lose the contrast from going from nothing to fully focusing on one piece in particular.
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