How to Reduce Screen Time
Between work, socializing, and even moments of dissociation, it can be hard to cut back on screen time. If you’ve noticed that you’re spending more and more time on your phone specifically, here are some useful and unique ways to break the habit.
- Before picking up your phone, say the reason out loud.
- Try saying things like “Reading a text message,” “Checking my calendar,” or even “Because I’m bored.” This engages your brain in the real purpose behind the action and helps keep you on track. It may also help you realize how often you pick up your phone “just because.”
- When you reach for your phone, stop and count to 10.
- The power of the pause gives you time to recalibrate and take charge of your actions. Now you’re actively choosing to engage with your phone, not operating on autopilot
- Create distance
- Stop taking your phone everywhere you go. Leave it in another room when you can and resist the urge to keep it in your pocket.
- Fill the gap.
- Replace the habit of scrolling with another, more helpful activity. Take a walk, chat with a friend, write in a journal — anything that pulls you away from screen time.
- Go analog.
- Grab a notebook or two and check out some hard-copy books from your local library. Build the habit of turning to non-tech methods to fill your time.
- Limit exposure first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
- If you spend your first and last waking moments scrolling, watching videos, or checking emails, your brain becomes wired for digital “connection” all day long. Try leaving your phone out of the bedroom, or at least using it only as your alarm.
Our phones can be great tools, and they’ve changed the way we interact with the world. Like many things, they can have both positive and negative impacts on our lives — and it’s up to us to find balance. Remember, you’re not going to be perfect on your first try. Stick with it and celebrate the small wins as they come.
https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/02/29/tips-for-reducing-screen-time-and-why-that-might-be-a-good-idea https://mcforms.mayo.edu/mc6000-mc6099/mc6021-475.pdf
