I tried living like a monk for 48 hours. It's unusual for me to go 48 seconds without talking or checking my phone, let alone two days. I was inspired by the University of Pennsylvania's "monk class," actually called "Living Deliberately." I wanted to achieve that level of awareness, but my livelihood depends on my voice and three-pound work laptop. A seven-day break from Twitter and TikTok reduced levels of depression and anxiety in a small randomized trial, U.K.-based University of Bath researchers found last year.

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Persons: Justin McDaniel, Monks, Ann Patchett's, Tom Lake, I've, —, McDaniel Organizations: University of Pennsylvania's, Ivy League, Twitter, of Bath, University of Pennsylvania