Do you feel like you are constantly distracted by your phone? Are you putting your phone down only to pick it back up 5 minutes later? Did you have a plan to be productive and before you know it you’ve been lying in bed scrolling for hours? You are definitely not alone. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to be more present. In order to do this, I know I need to limit my screen time.
My phone has become an addiction.
Breaking an addiction is never easy. It requires you to make a conscious effort and really reflect on your learned behaviors. Habits aren’t formed overnight. They won’t be broken overnight either. There is a reason you have become so reliant on your phone. There is a reason you are hoping to break this habit. Reflect without judgment.
Why Do You Want to Break This Addiction?
The first thing I do when I create a new goal for myself is thinking about why I want to achieve it. How will this improve my life? Why am I doing this? Giving myself a reason why is the best motivator when I start to slip back into my old ways. It is my constant on days that feel challenging and on the days I want to throw in the towel.
For me, I knew my phone was taking time away from the people I loved most, it was clogging my brain with unnecessary, and oftentimes negative, information, and it was absolutely horrible for my mental health.
I could spend hours watching countless videos on TikTok that left me feeling more insecure, incapable, and unworthy than ever. Even when I was watching positive videos, the effects were the same. I was constantly comparing myself to others. I kept feeling like my relationship, my career, and my health weren’t as good as everyone else. It was a horrible feeling and I knew that I was the only one in control of my mindset and my behaviors. I knew I was the one in charge. I was feeding myself the poison. Only I had the power to do better.
Each morning I would wake up and the very first thing I would do is check my phone. Before I said good morning to my fiancé. Before I processed what I had to do that day. Before I focused on gratitude. Before I went to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. This was a problem for me. Between my phone and my work computer, I felt like I was glued to technology all day long. I did not need to start my mornings with it as well. I no longer wanted to be a slave to my phone. Aside from being able to make calls and communicate via texts, what was really so important on there anyway?
I have tried many times to break this habit and there are still some days when I slip. But I am more conscientious of my behavior now. I am able to recognize when I am spiraling down a never-ending scrolling hole and stop it before it takes over my day and, consequently, takes over my entire mood.
Think about how precious time is. Do you want to look back on your life and realize you wasted HOURS each day glued to a device? I know I don’t. Not anymore.
Here Are 7 Ways To Break Your Phone Addiction:
1. Set Screen Time Limits
This is something that I recently did and I can honestly say it has been working for me! My screen time used to be around 4 hours a day. Now, it falls around 2 hours. My goal is to get my screen time to under 1 hour a day. Baby steps.
On your device, you can set screen time limits for individual apps. I started by giving myself 30 minutes a day for Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. That’s still 1.5 hours just for social media, but it’s significantly less than what I was doing before. Pick an amount of time that works for you and your goals and stick with it! The best part is, that you’ll get reminders when your screen time is up. These reminders have kept me in check and ensured that I don’t waste any more time than I’ve allotted.
2. Set Business Hours For Your Phone
As I was scrolling through social media one day, I saw this post that said, what if social media had business hours? I forget exactly where I saw this post, but it stuck with me. Think about it. Before cell phones and social media people used to spend their time talking with their family members, playing card games, and simply enjoying each other’s company. Nowadays, we are more involved with our phones than the physical people in front of us. We are too busy recording our days, trying to prove to the world that we are successful or living our best life. It isn’t real. It isn’t sustainable.
What if for certain hours of the day social media was “closed”? Think about all of the tasks that you could get accomplished without the distraction of your phone. Think about the memories you could make with your loved ones during that time.
3. DON’T Look At Your Phone First Thing In The Morning
This has 100% been my biggest struggle. I have formed the worst habit of shutting off my alarm and immediately turning toward my phone. I haven’t even fully opened my eyes, yet I’m already on Facebook. I no longer wanted this to be how I started my mornings. Now, I reach for my book or I take a moment to just be present and prepare for my day. Whether this is running through the day’s schedule in my head or taking a moment to focus on gratitude, it is significantly more beneficial for my mental health.
4. Place Your Phone In A Different Room
Out of sight, out of mind. Remove the distraction completely. If you were trying to eat healthier, you wouldn’t keep a bag of chips on the counter. It’s too tempting. Apply this same logic to your phone addiction. Oftentimes we don’t even know why we are reaching for our phones. It’s just physically there and it’s a habit. Place your phone in the other room and see how quickly you can find other activities to fill your time.
5. Put Your Phone On Airplane Mode
This is a strategy I use when I am at work and I know I need to be laser-focused. If I continue to see Snapchat or Instagram notifications, I know I’m going to be tempted to open them right as they come through. By putting my phone on Airplane Mode, I no longer have that temptation.
Having access to communicate with each other 24/7 is incredible…until it’s not. It can be exhausting feeling like you constantly have to be available. Put your phone on Airplane Mode and make yourself unreachable for a while. The notifications will still be there later on.
6. Remove Addictive Apps From Your Homescreen
How many times have you opened up your phone intending to check a particular app and not even seconds later you have forgotten what you wanted to do? This has happened to me more times than I can even count. I try to keep my home screen organized and clutter-free, but somehow that still doesn’t help me with the distractions. I had to physically remove social media apps from my home screen in order to remove the temptation.
Removing the apps from your home screen means that they are still on your device, but they aren’t showcased on your main page. To access any of the apps hidden from your home screen, you have to search for them. This added step may seem inconvenient, but it really makes you stop and think about why you need the app in the first place. It gets me in the habit of making intentional decisions.
7. Engage In More Mindful Activities
If you find yourself wanting to check your phone, think of more mindful activities that you enjoy doing. I love to read, write, and practice yoga. These activities are so much better for my overall mental and physical health. I feel accomplished when I practice mindfulness. I know that I am doing something to better myself. I don’t get that same feeling when I spend hours on social media.
We all have the same 24 hours in our days. We all get one life to live. How do you want to spend your time? I want to look back on my life with no regrets. I challenge you to seek new adventures and leave the phone behind.
This post was all about how you can break your phone addiction.
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