By Editorial TeamMost guys burn 10 to 15 minutes a day shaving, which easily adds up to over an hour a week spent in front of the mirror. Imagine getting that time back. You could use it for a deliberate digital detox, which is a real investment in your men’s wellbeing. This is about being smarter with your grooming, not giving it up, so you can re-evaluate your time management and carve out a little breathing room for yourself. What if simply changing how you shave could change how much you stare at a screen all day?
Key Takeaways
- Switching to less frequent hair removal can give you back 30 to 60 minutes a week, time you can pour directly into a digital detox.
- Set up specific tech-free zones or times, like a hard “no screens at breakfast” rule, to create immediate boundaries with your devices.
- Use that reclaimed time for something tangible, like reading a physical book, practicing mindfulness, or getting outside for some exercise.
- For two weeks, track your screen time and how your mood changes. Seeing the connection reinforces the new habit.
- Build a personal digital detox schedule that actually fits into your life so you’ll stick with it for the long haul.
“Mary-Frances O'Connor, a neuroscientist and University of Arizona professor who also featured in the online class, explained: "Your brain doesn't register your loved one as gone – it registers them as lost.”
1. Evaluate Your Current Shaving Routine and Time Commitment
You can’t get time back until you know where it’s going. Get a stopwatch or use your phone’s timer (yes, the irony is noted) and for three straight mornings, time your entire shaving process. I mean everything: the prep, the shave, the cleanup, the post-shave stuff. Be brutally honest. Do you zone out for a minute just staring at your reflection, or quickly check notifications between passes? Add that time in. Most guys I’ve worked with swear it takes them five minutes, but when they actually time it, the number is closer to twelve. This quick assessment gives you a clear baseline of the time you could potentially save.
If you’re using a multi-blade razor and cream, for instance, your routine probably includes a hot towel, lathering, a few passes, rinsing, and then aftershave. Every single step adds up. A study in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, while it was focused on skin irritation, shows just how many steps are involved in a standard shave.
Pro Tip: Don’t just time the blade-on-face part. Include the time you spend looking for the damn razor, cleaning the sink, or getting distracted by a text. You need the real, total number.
2. Explore Less Frequent Hair Removal Alternatives
Here’s where you find the real gold. If you’re a daily shaver, look at options that give you longer-lasting results so you don’t have to do it so often. For your face, a professional wax can leave you smooth for weeks, completely wiping out that daily ritual for a while. For body hair, things like sugaring or even a good depilatory cream can last days or weeks longer than a shave, all depending on how fast your hair grows back.
Think about the math. Instead of a five-minute shave every day, you could get a 20-minute professional facial hair removal session once every three or four weeks. Over one month, that’s roughly 150 minutes of daily shaving (5 minutes x 30 days) getting slashed down to a single 20-minute appointment. You just got 130 minutes of your life back. Or if you shave your chest every other day for 2.5 minutes, that’s 37.5 minutes a week. A 30-minute chest wax every four to six weeks is a massive time saving. The calculation is basic, but the effect on your schedule is huge.
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Find a Studio Near You →Common Mistake: Thinking every hair removal method is the same. Methods vary by skin type and hair texture. A little research or a chat with an esthetician can save you a lot of irritation and get you much better, longer-lasting results.
3. Designate Screen-Free Zones and Times
Now that you’ve got this extra time, you have to be intentional about how you use it. Start by picking specific places and times where phones and screens are off-limits. Your bedroom is a great place to start, especially for the hour before you go to sleep and the hour after you wake up. The dining table is another obvious one. Think about how these little changes pile up. If you usually scroll through your phone for 10 minutes while you eat breakfast, that’s 70 minutes a week you can now use for something else. The goal is conscious choice, not deprivation.
A 2024 Statista report found people spend an average of 151 minutes a day on social media worldwide, so even cutting a small fraction of that time can improve your mental clarity. I often tell my clients to set a “digital sunset” at 9 PM, where all non-work screens get turned off. This simple rule has a massive effect on sleep quality and creates a much-needed buffer for just relaxing.
4. Schedule Your Wellbeing Activities
If you don’t schedule this new free time, it will disappear. You have to block it out on your calendar just like a work meeting. This is where you proactively manage your time. If you gained 30 minutes in the morning by skipping a shave, put “Read” or “Walk” in your calendar for that 30-minute slot. Treat these appointments with yourself as non-negotiable. Doing this stops you from automatically reaching for your phone the second you have a free moment.
Get specific with it. Don’t just write “relax,” write “read one chapter of ‘Sapiens'” or “do a 15-minute guided meditation.” I had a client who replaced his morning shave with 20 minutes of journaling and 10 minutes of stretching, and he said he felt way more grounded and focused for his workday, a direct boost to his men’s wellbeing.
Pro Tip: Use a paper planner or a notebook for this. The physical act of writing it down builds commitment and keeps you off a screen even when you’re planning.
5. Track Your Progress and Adjust
Changing habits isn’t a straight line. Keep an eye on your screen time (most phones have a tracker in the settings) and compare it to your starting numbers. Also, just notice how you feel. Are you less stressed out? Sleeping better? Actually listening in conversations? Jot down a few notes in a journal. If you find that a certain screen-free time is really hard to stick to, figure out why. Were you bored? Was it just pure habit? Or did you actually need to look something up? Then you can adjust your plan.
For example, if you can’t seem to stay off your phone in the evenings, maybe you need a more engaging analog activity, like learning a few chords on a guitar or picking up a hobby. The point is to use technology with intention and make room for other things you enjoy. A study by the American Psychological Association found a direct link between more screen time and higher stress levels, which really shows why being mindful with your devices is so important.
Common Mistake: Trying to be perfect. A slip-up isn’t a failure. If you end up scrolling when you didn’t mean to, just acknowledge it and get back on the horse. The process requires consistent effort, not flawless execution.
Taking back the time you spend on something routine like shaving and using it for a digital detox is a practical way to improve your men’s wellbeing. By making intentional choices about where your minutes go, you can build a life that feels more present and less tied to a screen. Start small, be consistent, and you’ll see real benefits to your mental clarity and your life.
How fast will I feel the benefits of a digital detox?
Many guys feel less overwhelmed and more focused within just a few days of starting a consistent detox. You’ll probably notice you’re sleeping better within the first week, especially if you cut out screens before bed.
What can I do *right now* with the time I get back?
Read a physical book or newspaper. Do a 10-minute meditation. Go for a short walk. Pick up a pencil and draw something, or just sit and enjoy a cup of coffee without your phone. The key is to pick something you actually enjoy that doesn’t involve a screen.
Is it realistic for most guys to stop shaving every day?
Completely stopping depends on your job, how you like to look, and how fast your hair grows. But switching to a method that lets you shave just every few days, or even weekly, is very realistic and saves a ton of time. A lot of men find a good balance that works for them.
How do I fight the urge to check my phone during screen-free time?
First, notice the urge without getting mad at yourself, it’s just a habit. The easiest trick is to put your phone in another room or in a drawer. If you get deeply into whatever else you’re doing, your mind won’t have space to wander back to your phone. After a while, the urge gets weaker as the new habit gets stronger.
Are other hair removal methods more expensive than shaving?
The per-session cost for professional waxing or sugaring is higher than a pack of razors, sure. But if you look at the cost over a few months and consider the value of the time you get back (plus the mental health benefits), many people find it’s a great investment. Some at-home options, like depilatory creams, are pretty close in price to shaving supplies.
