Fear isn’t the mind-killer, screen time is. As we all stare down the prospect of a cold winter devoid of social gatherings, I’ve tried to reset myself for the coming months ahead. They say establishing and maintaining keystone habits—foundational practices that influence all your other actions and behaviors—is the key to being in command of one’s purpose. Regular exercise, a consistent sleep schedule, and healthy food consumption are often heralded as the great keystone habits because they physiologically impact your brain and how you feel. This in turn affects your motivation and willpower when living your daily life. In my brief bouts with managing my screen time, I would argue it also belongs in the keystone habit pantheon. Staring at a phone for 30 minutes makes you tired, and it strains your eyes. It also bombards your brain with a ton of dopamine hits, especially when mindlessly scrolling through social media or surfing the web. I don’t have a TV, which is great, because once you turn one of those things on your initiative evaporates by the second. Because we aren’t socializing nearly as often as pre-covid, we resort to our screens for entertainment and passing the time. But limiting our screen time not only makes us feel better, it also forces our brains to redevelop critical thinking skills and imaginative capacity. In these trying times, we can use such assets more than ever. Be a Helmholtz this winter: stay away from the mind-killer, and determine how to contribute to the world whilst facing this new brave world.