Carol Vorderman says an unusual phone habit has helped her avoid burnout; now science says he’s right

If you’re struggling with the demands of a modern digital lifestyle, the solution may have come from an unlikely source.

TV presenter Carol Vorderman, 63, has revealed she turns off her smartphone for 12 hours a day to help her avoid ‘burnout’ after a health scare.

Turning off the device helps his mind disconnect from professional commitments, because “he can no longer work seven days a week.”

Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, he said: “Now I turn off my phone for 12 hours a day. Like physically. It usually happens during the night hours.

“But it’s really good, you know when you have it next to the bed and you’re just snuggling in. I’m just going to look a little… Ahh, two hours later.

So does this “half and half” method – 12 hours on and 12 hours off a day – really improve well-being?

As well as trying the method himself, MailOnline’s Jonathan Chadwick spoke to psychologists and smartphone addiction experts to find out.

TV presenter Carol Vorderman has revealed she switches off her smartphone for 12 hours a day to help her avoid ‘burnout’ after a health scare.

Burnout is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) not as a medical condition but as a “syndrome”, a collection of health signs or symptoms.

It is a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion that can occur when you experience long-term stress and feel under constant pressure.

It is thought that smartphone use can lead to burnout by exposing people to the excessive demands of life, such as work or parenting responsibilities.

Dr. Jay Olson, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychology at McGill University in Canada, said there have been no studies examining Vorderman’s particular approach.

Vorderman herself seems to have come up with the half-and-half method, though it’s unclear if it’s also popular with audience members.

However, despite its lack of scientific scrutiny so far, Dr. Olson said he thinks it might actually work.

“Reducing smartphone use can help with burnout,” Dr Olson told MailOnline.

“If you can stick to the 12-hour schedule, it might help, but if it’s something you try for a week and then stop, it’s likely to have little long-term effect.”

Vorderman said his device tends to be off “during the nighttime hours” rather than during the day, say 6pm to 6am.

While this doesn’t address the problem of excessive smartphone use during the day, it at least provides a realistic starting point for reducing screen time.

According to Dr. Olson, turning it off at night will also help break the common habit of starting and ending the day by checking your phone.

“I would suggest timing the 12-hour window to avoid the phone for a couple of hours before bed and a couple of hours in the morning,” she said.

Also, at night it would reduce exposure to phone screen light, which has been linked to the inability to fall asleep.

Dr. Olson led a study that identified 10 solutions to reduce screen time, including switching to “grayscale” and turning off facial recognition.

MailOnline’s verdict

As a full-time traveler and father of two, I admit that I sometimes experience symptoms of burnout, as described by the charity Mental Health UK, including exhaustion, feeling overwhelmed and “persistent feelings of dread”.

At 19:00 I turn off my Samsung Flip phone for 12 hours, although the act of turning off a phone is a lot more laborious than I remember!

I also feel like I’m spending more time on my smartphone than ever, so I decided to try the half-and-half method for myself.

I turn off my Samsung Flip phone from 7pm to 7am, which means no scrolling through Instagram Reels on the couch after the kids are asleep, and no checking news and social media on the morning train.

I don’t turn off my phone very often; in fact, when I do, it takes me a while to remember exactly how to do it.

Samsung doesn’t make it easy either – I have to simultaneously hold down the side key and the bottom half of the volume rocker for two seconds before tapping ‘power off’ and finally entering my PIN number!

Once the device is finally turned off, I stash it under my bed and try to forget about it, but it’s funny how often my subconscious won’t let me.

Throughout the night, I find that reaching for my smartphone has become an innate habit, as natural and instinctive as scratching an itch.

Mostly, the trigger is when something randomly crosses my brain and I want to Google information, such as Thomas Tuchel’s managerial history or the location of the Orbit brewery whose beer I’m drinking.

But does my temporary withdrawal reduce burnout?

Dr. Olson led a study that identified 10 solutions to reduce screen time, including switching to “grayscale” (pictured)

Walking into work the next morning, my mind definitely feels much clearer and fresher, although that could have been due to other factors, such as a good night’s sleep.

Admittedly, I turn my phone back on a few minutes after 7am, definitely a sign that I’m a smartphone addict who’s been desperately waiting for their next hit.

However, I would like to continue this experiment for longer to see the long-term physical and emotional benefits.

Dr Heather Shaw, professor of psychology at Lancaster University, warned that there can be both positive and negative effects of ‘digital detoxes’ like this.

People “don’t experience phone withdrawal symptoms” the same way someone would when detoxing from substances, he said, challenging the idea that technology use is an addiction.

“Carol Vorderman has found a way to use technology that suits her,” Dr Shaw told MailOnline.

“But we don’t always have to see the use of technology as harmful.”