I don’t know about you, but for me it’s absolutely impossible to go an hour without looking at my phone. Even if it’s just to make sure nothing has happened, my phone is in my palm and my eyes are glued to the screen. It’s a horrible habit and it needs to end.
I decided to start a mini mission to cut down on my smart phone usage and I came up with some tips to help break a phone addiction and I must admit, I felt a lot less FOMO and I felt more calm and present. The simple truth is that if you begin to use your phone less, you’ll definitely have some mental changes. Anyways, if you find your iPhone is often glued to your palm like mine, here is exactly how to break your phone addiction in a few simple steps.
1. Delete soul-sucking apps.
By “soul-sucking,” I’m talking about the apps that you can mindlessly scroll through for a solid hour. The apps that are totally unproductive and kill your time? Those apps. The likely culprits are probably apps like the beloved Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. If you’ve got the strength to do so (I don’t), delete them! You’ll have so much extra time on your hands and, bonus, it’ll help you cut down on FOMO.
2. Put it on “Do Not Disturb” mode.
This is the hack that I’ve found to be the most helpful. The reason I usually end up on my phone is if I get some sort of notification or message. The truth is, 97% of the time the message or notification isn’t urgent at all. If you’re a little bit too worried that someone might really need you while your phone is in Do Not Disturb mode, you can simply disable notifications, as mentioned in tip #6.
3. Keep it in the next room.
If my phone is in the next room, I know it will probably be hours before I check it. Out of sight, out of mind, right? The truth is, when my phone was out of my sight I often forgot about it for a long time. I didn’t miss it much at all.
4. Be present.
If you’re going to watch a movie or TV show, WATCH IT. Put your phone far away and focus on what’s happening. Be present in your surroundings and situation. If you’re out with friends, shove your phone into your purse or pocket and be present with your friends, not worried about checking your phone.
5. Move your Apps.
If you can’t bring yourself to delete some of your soul-sucking apps as advised in #1 (I totally feel you), try moving them far, far away. Put them on page three of your iPhone and within a little folder title “STOP.” By the time you get to the app and see your little note, you might think twice before falling into the void.
6. Turn off notifications.
Disable notifications from apps like Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Do you need to be notified every single time someone likes your picture? Probably not. It’s kind of like a trap because you instantly are sucked into your phone when the screen lights up. Disable these!
7. Keep your phone far from your bed.
I don’t know about you, but the time when I’m mostly likely to be on my phone is right before I go to bed. This is a horrible habit because it keeps me up late and makes it more difficult to fall asleep because of the light. Think about this–if you left your phone on the other side of your room and then snuggled into your cozy room, you’d be much less inclined to get up and get it just to scroll through Tumblr for a few hours, right? It’s like getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night…no thanks.
8. Use alternatives.
Is your phone your calendar? Try using a physical planner instead. There are some seriously gorgeous ones out there. Is your phone your fitness tracker? Maybe substitute with a FitBit. Love writing on the Notes app? Try an old fashioned pen and paper approach. Use the phone alarm? Try an actual alarm clock instead. Find alternative ways to accomplish things without your phone. With that being said, some things have no substitutions. I’m talking about you, Reminders. Post-it notes stuck on my mirror and dresser are no substitution for the Reminders app.
What do you do to use your phone less?
I’ve recently fallen into the habit of checking my email (yeah that’s what I do in my spare time) and Instagram way too often when I’m not sure what to do. I like the tip of putting it on Do Not Disturb, I do that all the time when I study.
I also usually chuck my phone on the other side of my room too, because I’ll be too lazy to walk over and check it.
Angelina Is | Bloglovin’
Instagram is definitely one of my go-to places to kill time and I totally agree–the laziness usually trumps the desire to pick up my phone to check it!
x Paige