Is It Time For A Digital Detox? with Jennie Ketcham Crooks | 334

Mon Aug 11 2025

Is your phone messing with your mental health? Anxiety expert Jennie Ketcham Crooks joins Nicole Kalil to unpack how digital overload impacts our brains and how to detox without ditching tech entirely. This is your call to unplug, reset, and reconnect—with yourself.

Summary

This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil
Episode: Is It Time For A Digital Detox? with Jennie Ketcham Crooks | 334
Release Date: August 11, 2025

In the 334th episode of This Is Woman's Work, host Nicole Kalil delves into a topic that resonates deeply in today's hyper-connected world: the necessity and impact of a digital detox. Joined by Jennie Ketcham Crooks, founder of the West Coast Anxiety Clinic and a seasoned expert in anxiety and OCD, the conversation unpacks how excessive screen time and digital engagements can undermine mental health, relationships, and overall well-being.

Understanding Digital Overuse and Its Mental Health Implications

Nicole opens the discussion by highlighting the pervasive nature of digital overuse, particularly among younger generations. She notes a societal shift towards reducing screen time for children, emphasizing that the repercussions of digital overexposure are equally pertinent for adults.

"Increased phone time use decreases interpersonal connection opportunities. The more you're paying attention to your screen, the less you're paying attention to the person in front of you." — Nicole Khalil [04:12]

Jennie elaborates on the psychological impacts of digital interactions, distinguishing between fear and anxiety. She explains that while fear is an immediate response to a tangible threat, anxiety is a complex emotional state triggered by perceived threats, often amplified by digital communications.

"Anxiety is the cognitive, emotional, physiological, and urge... your mind is telling you about." — Jennie Ketchum Crooks [06:52]

The Anatomy of Digital Anxiety

The conversation delves into how platforms like social media create low-barrier environments for emotional bids, leading to heightened anxiety. Both sender and receiver of digital messages grapple with uncertainty and overthinking, fostering a continuous cycle of anxiety without clear resolution.

"The person that sends out this bid for affection... like, see me, love me, I'm trying to connect here." — Nicole Khalil [09:27]

Jennie discusses how the lack of immediate feedback in digital communications prevents individuals from effectively addressing vulnerabilities, prolonging anxiety and inhibiting genuine connections.

"Firing off emojis actually changes the way that we experience emotions." — Jennie Ketchum Crooks [10:38]

Functional vs. Dysfunctional Screen Use

Nicole and Jennie explore the concept of functional screen use—activities that support personal and professional life—and dysfunctional use, which detracts from meaningful engagement and productivity. They debate the fine line between utilizing technology as a tool and becoming ensnared by its distractions.

"What is functional here... is a totally functional behavior. If you are on the same screen and while you're at work, you also have in the background Instagram or X. If that's in the background for you, how is that functioning?" — Nicole Khalil [15:47]

Introducing the 30-Day Digital Detox Challenge

To combat digital overuse, Nicole introduces the 30-Day Digital Detox Challenge, aptly named "Look Up". This initiative encourages participants to gradually reduce screen time, reassess their digital habits, and realign their technology use with personal values and goals.

Jennie outlines practical steps for the detox, emphasizing self-awareness and behavioral adjustments:

"Start to notice if your phone is this really like appetitive, tasty thing that sucks you toward it... start to see if you can ride the urge to reach for it." — Nicole Khalil [22:06]

Benefits of a Digital Detox

Participants of the detox report a myriad of benefits, including clarer values, enhanced focus, and improved interpersonal relationships. Nicole shares her personal transformation, detailing how reducing her social media presence led to more meaningful engagements and increased creativity.

"More presence, more clarity. More confidence. Not the kind that comes from likes and follows, but the kind that's built in the real world through real experiences with real people." — Nicole Khalil [19:48]

Jennie adds that the detox fosters cognitive flexibility, enabling individuals to better manage their digital interactions and prioritize real-life connections over virtual validations.

"Every single person that I have talked to who has done the whole 30 day challenge reports clearer values, more committed action." — Nicole Khalil [24:51]

Personal Reflections and Long-Term Commitment

Nicole reflects on her journey, comparing her commitment to a digital detox with her long-term sobriety from alcohol. She emphasizes the profound impact that stepping away from digital clutter has had on her life, reinforcing the idea that true confidence and connection are cultivated offline.

"I never see myself going back. I don't see it happening." — Nicole Khalil [27:58]

Jennie concurs, highlighting the sustainable changes that participants experience, which often lead them to permanently adjust their digital habits to better serve their personal and professional lives.

Encouraging a Conscious Relationship with Technology

As the episode concludes, Nicole and Jennie advocate for a mindful approach to technology use. They urge listeners to assess how their digital interactions align with their values and to make deliberate choices that enhance rather than detract from their quality of life.

"Your worth isn't measured in clicks, comments, or curated feeds. It's in the way you show up for yourself and the people you love." — Nicole Khalil [29:05]

Conclusion

This Is Woman's Work masterfully navigates the intricate relationship between women and their digital lives. Through insightful dialogue and expert guidance, Nicole Kalil and Jennie Ketchum Crooks provide listeners with the tools and motivation to reclaim their time, prioritize genuine connections, and foster mental well-being in an increasingly digital world.

Learn more at: nicolekalil.com
Join the 30-Day Digital Detox Challenge: westcoastanxiety.com | Look Up on Amazon

Transcript

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Nicole Khalil (1:11)

I am Nicole Khalil and you're listening to the this Is womanswork podcast, where we cover topics that actually matter to today's multifaceted woman. And today we're talking about the detox we probably all need. The one that could save our mental health, our focus, and our sanity as women. Let's face it, we already hear a lot about detoxes. Juice cleanses, sugar free challenges, dry January. Some people even detox from coffee and swearing. And honestly, I just don't trust those people. But I'm not talking about those kinds of detoxes. I'm talking about a digital detox. Many of you know this about me, but a few years back I went all in on social media. I hired experts, invested time, spent money and grew my audience by the tens of thousands. And what did I learn? That it was an energy draining, soul sucking, time wasting black hole. That and that I am not, nor do I ever want to be, a social media influencer. So I did what felt radical at the time. I stopped. No posting except for the occasional funny meme in Instagram stories because joy still matters. No content creation or team. And for the few times a week that I did log on, I set a strict timer so I didn't come out of my digital coma three hours later wondering why I suddenly cared about some stranger's morning routine. Three months turned into over two years and what I uncovered was this confidence does not live on social media. At least not for me. Now, do I still find myself mindlessly opening Instagram? Yes. Do I ever feel better after scrolling no. Did I delete my accounts also? No. Because after years of building my audience, the thought of closing those accounts makes me more nauseous than I care to admit. But even without posting, I'm still attached to my phone more than I'd like. And technology, despite hating me, remains something that I rely on on the daily. Which is why we're going to learn about how we can each do our own digital detox. Joining me is Jenny Ketchum Crooks, founder of the West Coast Anxiety Clinic, a clinical licensed social worker, and an anxiety and ocd specialist. Before starting her own clinic, she was the director of clinical education at Seattle, anxiety specialist and the lead medical social worker at the Polyclinic. Jenni has been involved in research at the University of Washington, guest lectured at Harvard, and appeared on shows like the View, Oprah, and Headline News. She knows exactly how our digital habits mess with our minds and how we can break free. Jenny, welcome to the show. And I'm going to dive right into the deep end of the pool with this sort of weird question and ask you to remind us, and maybe even to scare us a little bit about how digital overuse is impacting our mental health, our loneliness, our relationships, all these sort of big things that I think sometimes we don't think about.