Mindful Hands

The 3-Hour Window That Changed Everything: A Hands-Free Habit Worth Keeping

Filing out my monthly Glow Report (from the 20-Hour Work Week Course), I noticed I needed to start reading books again. Something non-fiction but not really work related. So, I picked up a book that had been recommended to me more than once: Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford.

I expected light inspiration. What I didn’t expect was a full-on emotional reset.

The premise is simple—but it hit me hard: if we’re always connected to our devices, we’re disconnected from what (and who) matters most.

I thought I was doing fine. I’m pretty intentional with my time. I run a tight calendar. I don’t scroll mindlessly. But the deeper I got into the book, the more I noticed the micro-moments slipping through the cracks: distracted “mmhmm”s, background noise instead of presence, and a vague sense of disconnection during the only few hours my 4-year-old and I have together each evening.

That’s when I decided to make a change. Nothing dramatic. Just a small experiment.

The Hands-Free Habit

Every evening from 5pm to 8pm, I put my phone on airplane mode and place it in a drawer.

No texts. No notifications. No photos. No social check-ins. Just… presence.

I’m calling it my hands-free window—a simple, three-hour boundary that’s reshaping my evenings.

What I’ve Noticed

At first, it felt weird—like a phantom limb. I kept reaching for a device that wasn’t there. But within days, something softer started to unfold.

This little boundary has become sacred. Not because it’s rigid, but because it’s clear. I’m not “unavailable”—I’m deeply available in the most human way.

Mindful Doesn’t Mean Perfect

Let me be clear: I’m not trying to romanticize unplugging or pretend it’s always easy. Some evenings are chaotic. Some feel boring. Sometimes I still reach for the drawer out of habit.

But more often than not, I remember what Hands Free Mama teaches so gently: presence isn’t about perfection—it’s about intention.

And this one intention—just three hours a day—has given me more peace than any productivity hack ever could.

A Gentle Invitation

If your phone has become your shadow, if you’re missing the life right in front of you (even if it’s just over dinner), consider carving out a small hands-free window.

You don’t have to give up your tech. Just set it down on purpose. Step back in.There’s a whole world waiting—especially in the little hands that just want to be held.

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