News you’re not getting—until now.

Join 4M+ professionals who start their day with Morning Brew—the free newsletter that makes business news quick, clear, and actually enjoyable.

Each morning, it breaks down the biggest stories in business, tech, and finance with a touch of wit to keep things smart and interesting.

Check it out

The Two-Phone Trick That's Saving People From Their Screens (And Why It Actually Works)

You know that sinking feeling when you realize you've just spent 40 minutes mindlessly scrolling through TikTok... again? Yeah, we need to talk.

Picture this: It's 9 PM on a Tuesday. You sit down to read that book you've been promising yourself you'd finish for three months now. You crack it open, get through maybe two paragraphs, and then—ping—Instagram notification. "Sarah liked your photo from 2019."

Before you know it, you're deep in a rabbit hole of your high school classmate's vacation photos, somehow ended up watching a 20-minute video about how penguins sleep, and the book is collecting dust on your nightstand. Again.

Sound familiar? You're not alone, and you're definitely not broken. Your brain is just doing exactly what it was designed to do—seek out the next hit of dopamine. The problem? Your smartphone is basically a dopamine dealer that lives in your pocket.

Meet Your New Best Friend: The Cocaine & Kale Method

Here's where things get interesting. A guy named George Mack came up with what might be the most brilliantly simple solution to our smartphone addiction problem. He calls it the "Cocaine & Kale Phone Method," and before you roll your eyes at another productivity hack, hear me out—this one actually makes sense.

The concept is dead simple: You use two phones. One for all the addictive, dopamine-hitting apps (your "Cocaine Phone"), and another for only the essential, boring-but-useful stuff (your "Kale Phone").

Your Cocaine Phone gets Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat—all those apps that make your brain light up like a Christmas tree. Your Kale Phone? That's for Kindle, Maps, Uber, your calculator, and maybe a few close family contacts for emergencies.

Why Your Brain Falls for This Trick (And Why That's Actually Good)

Now, you might be thinking, "This sounds like psychological manipulation." And you're absolutely right—it is. But here's the kicker: you're already being psychologically manipulated every single day by apps designed by teams of neuroscientists and behavioral experts whose literal job is to keep you hooked.

This method just flips the script in your favor.

Think about it like this: Instagram didn't accidentally become addictive. Those intermittent rewards (likes, comments, messages) are designed to trigger the same brain pathways as gambling. Every time you pull down to refresh your feed, you're essentially pulling the lever on a slot machine.

The Cocaine & Kale method works because it separates your dopamine-seeking behavior from your serotonin-building activities. Dopamine is that "I need more NOW" feeling. Serotonin is that calm, satisfied, "all is well" feeling you get from reading a good book or having a meaningful conversation.

When you physically separate these experiences onto different devices, something magical happens: your brain starts to reset its baseline for stimulation.

The "Boredom is a Feature, Not a Bug" Philosophy

Here's where it gets really interesting. After using just your Kale Phone for a few hours (or days), something weird happens when you pick up your Cocaine Phone again—it feels overwhelming. Like, genuinely unpleasant.

That constant stream of notifications, the red badges, the infinite scroll—it all starts to feel like sensory overload instead of entertainment. Your brain essentially recalibrates itself to appreciate quieter, more focused activities.

One person who tried this method described it perfectly: "After three days with just my Kale Phone, opening Instagram felt like walking into a casino at 2 AM after spending the afternoon in a library. Just... too much."

But Wait, Two Phones Sounds Expensive (And Complicated)

I get it. The idea of carrying two phones sounds like something only CEOs and drug dealers do. But here's the thing—your "Cocaine Phone" doesn't need to be the latest iPhone. It can be an old phone you already have lying around, or even a basic smartphone that costs less than your monthly coffee budget.

Some people use their old phone as the Kale Phone and get a cheap Android as their Cocaine Phone. Others do it the opposite way. The point isn't the devices themselves—it's the physical and mental separation.

And if two phones really isn't feasible? The same principles work with app blockers, putting your phone in another room during certain hours, or even just turning off all notifications except for actual emergencies (and no, Karen's update about her lunch plans is not an emergency).

The Part Where It Actually Changes Your Life

The real magic isn't just about reducing screen time—though that happens naturally. It's about reclaiming your ability to be bored, to sit with your thoughts, to focus deeply on one thing for more than seven minutes at a time.

People who've tried this method report some pretty incredible changes:

• Actually finishing books (revolutionary, I know)

• Having deeper conversations because they're not constantly checking their phone

• Sleeping better because their bedroom only has the boring phone

• Getting into flow states during work that they hadn't experienced in years

• Rediscovering hobbies they'd abandoned

One woman shared that after a month of using this method, she realized she'd started taking actual lunch breaks again instead of eating at her desk while scrolling through Twitter. "I forgot that meals could be... meditative," she said.

The Reality Check: It's Not Magic, It's Just Harder to Be Lazy

Look, I'm not going to pretend this method will solve all your problems or turn you into some zen productivity master overnight. What it does is make the path of least resistance lead toward better habits instead of worse ones.

Instead of relying on willpower (which is notoriously unreliable), you're restructuring your environment. It's like putting healthy snacks at eye level in your fridge and hiding the ice cream in the back—same principle, different addiction.

The beauty is in its flexibility. Some people check their Cocaine Phone only after 6 PM. Others allow themselves 30 minutes in the morning and evening. Some people use it freely on weekends but keep it in a drawer during the workweek.

Your Brain on Smartphones vs. Your Brain on Books

Here's something that might blow your mind: the average person checks their phone 96 times per day. That's once every 10 minutes during waking hours. Every single notification, every quick peek, every "let me just check one thing" breaks your concentration and requires mental energy to refocus.

Now imagine spending most of your day with a device that can't give you that hit of instant gratification. Your brain starts to remember what sustained attention feels like. You begin to crave depth over stimulation.

It's like the difference between eating cotton candy all day and then having a home-cooked meal. One leaves you jittery and unsatisfied; the other actually nourishes you.

Making the Switch: Start Small, Think Big

If you're intrigued but overwhelmed, start simple. You don't need to go out and buy a second phone tomorrow. Try this: for one week, move all your social media apps to a folder on the last page of your phone. Notice how many times you unconsciously swipe looking for them.

Or try the "phone in another room" approach during certain activities—reading, eating, working, spending time with family. Pay attention to how often your hand reaches for a device that isn't there.

The goal isn't to become a digital hermit. It's to become intentional about when and how you engage with technology instead of letting it control you.

The Bottom Line: Your Attention is Your Life

At the end of the day, the Cocaine & Kale method isn't really about phones at all. It's about recognizing that your attention is your most valuable resource, and right now, you're giving it away for free to companies that profit from your distraction.

Every moment you spend in a dopamine-driven scroll session is a moment you're not present for your actual life. Not present for the conversation with your partner, the sunset on your way home, the satisfaction of completing a project, or the simple pleasure of your own thoughts.

The two-phone method is just one way to take that attention back. To remember what it feels like to be bored, to sit quietly, to think deeply, to be fully present in whatever you're doing.

And honestly? In a world that's constantly trying to fragment your focus and monetize your distraction, that might be the most radical thing you can do.

So here's my challenge to you: What would change in your life if you could focus deeply for just one hour a day without any digital interruptions? What book would you read? What conversation would you have? What would you create?

Your Kale Phone is waiting to help you find out.