Skip Boice, a 49-year-old former contractor from Utah, USA, began his project called «Year of Isolation» on February 10. He said goodbye to his wife and daughter, then locked himself in a separate room in his house for 365 consecutive days. His goal is to break bad habits and adopt new, healthy ones.
Boice explained his idea, saying: «The rules are simple: I don't leave the room, and the live stream is on 24/7. I don't bring in any outside entertainment or unplanned interactions, and everything that happens is visible to the viewers».
The room is fully equipped with a bathroom, a primitive gym, several lockers, and a live-streaming system that allows his experience to be broadcast continuously. «The live stream eliminates the possibility of quietly backing out or rewriting the story later, which maintains the integrity of the experiment,» Boice said.
After about three weeks, Boice said he began to notice positive changes in his lifestyle. He exercises more, follows a healthy diet, and his mental health has improved significantly. His motivation was to change his lifestyle for the better by forcing himself to avoid bad habits and adopt healthy ones related to focus and responsibility.
However, this experiment has not been met with unanimous public approval. One user named Shev wrote on the X platform: «This is very unhealthy, and I hope it's just nonsense. Some experts have also warned that such isolation is harmful to one's health. «You need sunlight, regular exercise, social interaction, and fresh air,» Boice was urged to reconsider his experience.
Despite the criticism, Boice remains convinced that cutting himself off from the outside world until January 10, 2027, is the best choice for him.
