I started by being conscious of limiting non productive phone use and when feeling the urge to browse on social media or other un productive phone tasks I think of better alternatives to spend my time wisely. After a few weeks of this it became much easier.
Breaking a phone addiction is not easy. It can actually be very difficult. I’ve had days when I was on my phone for 8+ hours so I should know. It’s sometimes easy to forget that there’s a life outside our phones, computers or screens. There’s a real world with beautiful people and nature to explore. Technology has gotten better at drawing us in - I’m talking about the algorithms at Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok that know what we like and they constantly hit us with more of that. It’s not a case of do this and you’ll be “cured” of phone addiction. Some things work, others won’t.
@maya-miller And how many hours are you spending on your phone now, Maya? And what did you do to reduce this number?
@kenny Well, for starters there’s absolutely no phone in the morning. I don’t even pick it up until lunch time when I check it for 10-15 minutes. I have a classic alarm clock that wakes me up. Also no phone after 8 PM. I set it on silent. If something really urgent happens (and it almost never does) and my family or friends need to get a hold of me they know to call my husband. So I’m basically “using” my phone between 12 and 8 PM and I’m browsing, scrolling or playing games for 1 hour tops.
Going from 8 hours to just 1 is insanely good! Congratulations to you, Maya! And yes your advice on not using your phone both in the morning and after 8 PM makes things easier as you know you won’t be using it during those times; it’s something clear in your mind and probably makes things easier. Will try it.
This article on digital detox maybe helpful.
https://blissplanet.com/the-benefits-of-a-digital-detox-in-todays-hyperconnected-world/
If I might barge in here 🙂 and add a few suggestions that have worked for me.
I’ve deleted ALL of my social media apps and games that we’re distracting me. ALL of them! No exceptions! This might seem extremely difficult for some people but I needed to do it otherwise it wouldn’t work. I did this some months back and never looked back. I’m using my phone for talking and messaging. That’s it. When there’s a break at work or some free time I will talk with people, read something, listen to an audiobook, go on a run and so on.
It’s like when you’re trying to quit sugar but your house is filled with sugary treats. It’s super difficult to stick to it so sometimes you need to just go gung-ho on it and eliminate all sugar from the house so it’s easier for you to stick to it and not be tempted by foods and drinks from your house. It’s the same with the apps and games on the phone. Get rid of them or they’ll be a distraction.
Wonderful advice Matthew 😀
