It hit me somewhere around kilometer three this morning, as the humid Saigon air wrapped around me like a wet blanket. My phone was sitting at home, silent for once. No Slack messages about website issues. No emails about content deadlines. No texts asking where the pacifier went.
Just me, the rhythmic sound of my feet hitting pavement, and a revelation that made me actually laugh out loud: I haven’t been waking up at 5:30 AM for years to stay fit. I’ve been buying myself 40 minutes of complete unreachability.
And honestly? That realization changed everything about how I see my morning routine.
The accidental discovery of modern solitude
When I first started running regularly, I told myself all the usual stories. Better cardiovascular health. Mental clarity. Setting a good example for my daughter. All valid reasons, sure.
But here’s what I didn’t expect: in our hyperconnected world, running became my daily disappearing act. No one expects you to answer a message mid-run. No one schedules a “quick call” when they know you’re out pounding pavement.
The running itself almost became secondary to this precious window of disconnection.
Think about it. When else in your day are you truly unreachable without feeling guilty about it? When you’re sleeping, maybe, but even then, your phone sits beside you like a loaded weapon of potential interruption.
During my run, though? I have the perfect excuse. And society not only accepts it but applauds it. “Good for you,” they say, “taking care of your health.” Meanwhile, I’m out here protecting something far more endangered than my cardiovascular system: my solitude.
Why we’re all secretly craving unreachability
Let me ask you something. When was the last time you had 40 consecutive minutes where no one could reach you, and you didn’t feel anxious about it?
If you’re struggling to remember, you’re not alone.
We’ve created a world where being constantly available has become the default expectation. Your boss can Slack you at 9 PM. Your mom can FaceTime you during lunch. Your friend can expect an instant response to their relationship crisis text while you’re trying to focus on work.
The boundaries have dissolved. And most of us didn’t even notice it happening.
This constant accessibility is exhausting our minds in ways we’re only beginning to understand. Research from the University of California, Irvine found that it takes an average of 23 minutes to fully refocus after an interruption. Now multiply that by the dozens of interruptions we face daily.
No wonder we’re all walking around feeling mentally fried.
But here’s where it gets interesting. In my book “Hidden Secrets of Buddhism: How To Live With Maximum Impact and Minimum Ego” (available here), I explore how Buddhist monks have understood this principle for centuries. They call it “noble silence” – periods of deliberate disconnection that allow the mind to settle and clarity to emerge.
My morning run? It’s become my daily practice of noble silence, disguised as exercise.
The paradox of productive disconnection
Here’s what nobody tells you about those unreachable moments: they’re often when your best thinking happens.
Since embracing this realization about my runs, I’ve started paying attention to what actually occurs during those 40 minutes. Sure, the first ten minutes are usually spent mentally sorting through yesterday’s chaos or today’s to-do list. But after that? Magic happens.
Solutions to problems I’ve been wrestling with suddenly appear. Creative ideas for content bubble up from nowhere. Perspectives shift. Anxiety loosens its grip.
It turns out that giving your brain space to wander without the threat of interruption is like giving it permission to actually think. Not react, not respond, not manage – just think.
This isn’t just feel-good philosophy either. Neuroscientists have found that our brains need these periods of rest to consolidate memories, process emotions, and generate creative insights. It’s called the default mode network, and it only fully activates when we’re not actively focused on the outside world.
Creating your own unreachable moments
So maybe you’re not a runner. Maybe the thought of voluntarily moving through tropical heat at dawn sounds like punishment rather than peace. Fair enough.
But the principle remains the same: we all need our version of those 40 unreachable minutes.
For some, it might be a morning meditation practice before the household wakes up. For others, it could be an evening walk without the phone. Maybe it’s a swim, a bike ride, or even just sitting in your car in the parking lot before heading into work.
The activity matters less than the intention: creating a legitimate reason to be unreachable.
The key word there is “legitimate.” Because let’s be honest – we’ve been conditioned to feel guilty about ignoring our devices. We need permission, even if it’s permission we give ourselves.
Exercise provides that permission. So does meditation. Or prayer. Or any activity that society has deemed worthy enough to justify temporary disconnection.
The unexpected ripple effects
Since accepting that my runs are really about unreachability, I’ve noticed something interesting happening. I’ve become more protective of that time, and paradoxically, more present during it.
Before, I might have cut a run short if I felt anxious about work piling up. Now? Those 40 minutes are non-negotiable. They’re not just exercise; they’re essential mental maintenance.
And here’s the really wild part: everyone in my life has actually benefited from my daily disappearing act.
I’m a better partner when I return home because I’ve had time to process my thoughts without interruption. I’m a more creative entrepreneur because my brain has had space to make unexpected connections. I’m a more patient father because I’ve already had my moment of solitude before the beautiful chaos of parenting takes over.
The mornings I skip my run? Those are the days I feel like I’m constantly playing catch-up with my own thoughts, reactive rather than responsive to whatever comes my way.
The path forward
Look, I’m not suggesting we all need to become marathon runners or move to a cabin in the woods. The connected world isn’t going anywhere, and honestly, it brings plenty of benefits alongside its challenges.
But we do need to be more intentional about creating pockets of unreachability in our lives.
Start small. Maybe it’s just 15 minutes tomorrow morning. Leave your phone in another room and do something, anything, that makes you temporarily unavailable. Walk around the block. Sit with your coffee and actually taste it. Do some stretches. Whatever works.
The activity is just the excuse. The real gift is those precious minutes where the world can’t reach you, where your mind can finally exhale, where you remember what it feels like to just be with yourself.
Because here’s what I’ve learned after years of 5:30 AM wake-ups and countless kilometers through humid streets: sometimes the best way to stay connected to what matters is to disconnect from everything else.
Even if it takes disguising it as a morning run.
