Given the chilly time of year and the pandemic keeping people inside and isolated, you’ve probably found yourself spending way too much time on your phone. It’s difficult to put the phone down when it brings you instant access to information, entertainment as well as connection to friends and family. However, spending too much time on your phone can be draining, unproductive, and detrimental to your mental health. It’s important to use your phone in moderation. Be mindful of how much time you spend on it and if that time spent is affecting you in a positive or negative way. If you find yourself feeling particularly glued to your phone lately but it’s hard to stop gravitating towards it, try incorporating a few of these habits into your daily life.
First, stop waiting by the phone. What I mean by this is whenever you’re waiting, maybe it’s in line at a store or an appointment or maybe you’re waiting for your food to cook, you go on your phone for two minutes. In this case, there’s really no reason or need to go on your phone except to fill the temporary void of not doing anything. Next time you feel the need to scroll or open a random app while you wait in line, instead just try being in the moment. Embrace the minute or two of waiting, without feeling the urge to open your phone. Why not use that time to simply relax or take a minute not focused on anything. Our phones have shortened our attention spans and hooked us to the feeling of always being connected. So next time you find yourself waiting for what’s next and you get the urge to check your phone, don’t, it’s not that interesting anyway.
Another way you can be more mindful with your phone is by setting a time limit for yourself. Most of us know you can set personalized timers on your apps and they notify you when you’ve reached that limit. But, for many of us, we just click ‘remind in fifteen more minutes’, and before you know it you’ve clicked ‘remind me in fifteen minutes’ six times and you’ve spent an hour and a half on Tik Tok. The app limit feature on your phone is only useful if you’re intentional about actually following it. But even if you don’t actually follow it, having a reminder pop up at least brings to your attention how much time you’ve spent on the app.
This next tip is an obvious one but probably the most important if you want to spend less time on your phone, spend less time on your phone. It’s simple. Do something else. Spend your time doing anything but being on your phone. This could be going for a walk, reading a book, listening to music, or working out. There’s actually a lot you can do if you get creative.
My last tip to being more mindful on your phone is to avoid late-night mindless scrolling. Like many of us, I am so guilty of this. We think that we are unwinding before bed but it’s oftentimes doing the exact opposite, keeping us awake and making our minds overstimulated right before we sleep. If you’re not careful you might spiral into a technology dark hole and end up staying awake hours longer than you should have. So try disconnecting before bed, you’ll sleep better.
I hope you try incorporating some of these into your daily habits and they help you become more mindful with your phone. Remember your social media presence is not who you actually are. Live in the moment more, you won’t regret it.
Xoxo,
Rose
Edited by Annie Stibora