Putting my phone down more often has been a priority for me this year. It is so scary to feel like your phone controls you. There were times where I would spend hours and hours scrolling through IG and visiting different sites to a point I would lose track of time and that is very uncool (and the ultimate waste of time)! The fact that I can spend over two hours on my phone doing nothing but scrolling like I’m hypnotized by my device was a wake-up call to make a change! Below are five tips that have helped me get off my phone and gain more control of the time I spend on it.
Set timer reminders: I now set a timer that reminds me I need to get off my phone. This really helps during the evenings. I now only allow myself 20 minutes of scrolling on my phone at least two hours before bed time. Once I’m done, I put my phone away and pick up a current book I’m reading and disconnect totally. During daytime, I also set time limits of how long I spend on my phone.During my lunch hour, I put a timer of 10 minutes to scroll through my phone, once that timer starts ringing I put my phone away so I can actually enjoy my food. Those reminders are so good for me because now I have deadlines to meet when using my device.
Turn off notifications: This one was really hard for me to do as I always like to respond to e-mails/IG comments in a timely manner. However, mental health comes first so I turned off the notifications of a lot of my apps and that definitely has helped me stay away from my phone. Those little alerts are so distracting!
Stay Busy: I now try to schedule my days doing things that require me to stay away from the screen. Leaving my phone in a locker for an hour while I workout is so refreshing! Think of all the things one can accomplish while they aren’t typing into a tiny device. So far I’ve found new time to organize my place, moved things around, put looks together for future events and dates, and cook. These are all great distractions to stay away from your phone and do productive things with your time.
Don’t make your iPhone your best friend: I used to look at my phone and treat it like the friend that I can’t live without. I decided to now look at it like the annoying friend that does not need to be with me at all times. Even though scrolling through IG and Facebook can be a source of inspiration (for event updates, news, etc.), mostly it’s just an unproductive time suck.. I now look at my phone in a different way and it has made all the difference
Leave your iPhone in your purse during dinners: I used to always have my phone on the dinner table when eating dinner with friends. I now leave it in my purse. Unless it’s a media dinner in which requires for me to capture photos and video, I no longer take my phone out during dinners. I’ve actually enjoyed creating memories with friends that only live in my mind, where a photo or a video is not necessary. The more you make this a habit the easier it gets!
I hope these tips help you detach from your iPhone. It’s not easy! I still struggle with the above advice but I’ve made a mindful decision to truly make an effort to disconnect and create amazing moments IRL. Do you have any tips that helped you disconnect from your iphone?
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