What are you prepared to stop doing to reclaim your time and peace of mind? In a powerful collective manifesto, nine prominent writers, chefs, comedians, and athletes have shared the habits, pressures, and distractions they have consciously quit. Their resolutions go far beyond typical New Year's pledges, touching on technology, diet culture, social anxiety, and the very way we engage with the world.
Reclaiming Attention and Wellbeing
Historian and author Rutger Bregman has declared war on his smartphone. After years of failed self-regulation attempts, he realised the device was engineered to hijack attention. His radical solution? He asked his wife to set a passcode and block the browser, effectively turning his phone into a simple tool for maps and photos. "The feeling of liberation was … shocking," he admits, describing how the compulsive urge weakened once the constant 'sugar hit' of notifications was removed.
Fashion designer and Great British Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant has given up hangovers. After a particularly severe episode following a friend's divorce party left him debilitated for days, he embarked on a temporary alcohol-free period. The mental clarity and productivity he gained were so profound he never went back. Eight years sober, he has navigated the UK's drink-centric social scene and found he can still enjoy the fun without the fog.
Chef and presenter Andi Oliver has quit caring what people think. Despite a front of freedom in her youth, internalised messages about her body, race, and voice led to a nervous breakdown at 30. Through deliberate work, she has shed these external pressures. "Now, I live my life pretty free from caring about how other people have decided I am meant to look," she says, calling the process "wonderfully liberating."
Rejecting Harmful Norms and Diets
Comedian Josie Long has boycotted low-fat food and diet culture for good. A survivor of disordered eating, a near-fatal car crash in 2010 catalysed a new philosophy: "I am here to live, and I am here to live well." She now embraces full-fat butter, yoghurt, and the pleasure of eating, rebelling against the "prolonged state of yearning and compromise" she once endured.
Cookbook author Meera Sodha is quitting being a 'people pleaser'. She identifies the tendency to put others first as a learned behaviour from a culture that prioritised the collective over the individual. Therapy helped her recognise the pattern. Now, she consciously tunes into her own wants and needs, even when it means stepping back from some relationships. "Quitting people pleasing has been liberating," she states.
Former Olympian and personal trainer Louise Hazel has given up intermittent fasting. After trying it herself, she experienced negative effects, becoming 'skinny fat' as her body broke down muscle mass for fuel. She now advocates for a protein-forward diet and urges a focus on body composition over weight, arguing that science has moved on from the tyranny of the scales.
Choosing Peace Over Noise
Author and poet Michael Rosen has gone 'cee-total'. He stopped all caffeine intake after a serious Covid-19 hospital stay disrupted his sleep patterns. While acknowledging the complex sleep issues of advancing age, he has eliminated caffeine as a potential aggravator. He now drinks hot water with lemon and opts for a nap instead of a coffee boost.
Playwright Lucy Prebble has quit X, formerly Twitter. What began as a creative outlet devolved into a source of distress, particularly after seeing how the platform amplified misinformation following a London stabbing. Even creating a blank account exposed her to a default stream of violent and disturbing content. Her departure is less a surrender and more a rejection of a system designed to create an illusion of control.
Beauty journalist Anita Bhagwandas has quit missing out. She has conquered the fear of doing things alone, whether it's attending a gig or booking a solo holiday. After regretting missing a Scott Weiland concert years ago, she reframed solo adventures as brave and dynamic. "Life is too short to wait around for company," she concludes, choosing her own company over perpetual postponement.
Together, these nine perspectives form a compelling guide to auditing one's own life. They champion the idea that sometimes, the most productive step forward is a conscious decision to stop.
