7 Easy Tips For Kicking Your Phone Addiction To The Curb

Pexels

Do you see more of your phone screen than your surroundings? Do you use your phone as a security blanket in almost every social situation? And generally speaking, do you struggle to remember the last time you were without your phone? If you answered “yes” to these questions, you probably need to learn a thing or two about healthy detachment from technology.

But if parting from your phone sounds like your own version of hell, just take it one step at a time. The following hacks will gradually help you find your phone far less irresistible and reconnect with life beyond the screen.

1. Turn off all notifications.

If you’re a person who desperately needs to reach Inbox Zero to achieve a sense of peace in your life, then create that same soothing visual across all apps in your phone all the time. It’s simple — just open your settings, navigate to the handy notifications menu, and make adjustments as necessary. And when we say turn everything off, we mean everything. We’re trying to minimize your desire to pick up the phone in the first place, and reducing its buzzing and chirping is a great way to get started.

Pexels

2. Use the grayscale color display option.

You might not consciously recognize it, but all of the pretty colors on a modern smartphone are mighty attractive. And when you switch your phone to its grayscale color display option, you certainly notice something is missing… something called fun. Your phone looks downright boring without all the jazzy lights and colors, which means grayscale will help you want to look at it less. The menu navigation for this setting change obviously varies by device, but it’s not difficult to do.

3. Delete excess apps.

Time to clear out some of that storage space! Genuinely ask yourself when was the last time you used each of the optional apps on your phone. If it’s been more than three months, press the “X.” It’s clearly not important for you to see it daily, so why let it contribute to the overwhelming attention suck your phone creates? A simple, decluttered home screen is key to staying in control when looking at your phone, and fewer apps means less room for distraction.

Pexels

4. Designate an out-of-reach charging area.

When your phone needs to revive itself after your latest social media binge, pick a charging spot in your home that is inconvenient to any sitting area and let the device do its thing. That way, you’re not tempted to fiddle with it, and you’re slowly weening yourself off your phone addiction with brief windows of charging time. The uncoupling has to start somewhere, so you might as well pair it with when you need a little down time.

5. Keep it off the table.

Honestly, there is nothing fun about going to brunch with a group of friends just so that everyone can sit at the table together and stare at their phones. You’re already in the company of the people you want to interact with via text and social media anyway, so just chuck the damn thing in your bag and be present. Your food will taste better, and you’ll quickly realize how much more fun it is to connect with your friends IRL than through a screen.

Pixabay

6. Create designated “no phone” times in your day.

If you can successfully charge your phone without holding on to it and ditch the screen at the dinner table, you’re already part of the way there! By marking certain 30-minute chunks of your day as “phone free time,” you help yourself widen the distance between you and your addiction. Try not looking at your phone when you first wake up. Take a lunch walk and leave your phone in your office while you move. And, say goodnight 30 minutes early just to sit in peace and relax before you actually fall asleep. That might turn out to be the best 90 minutes of your entire day.

7. Use an old school alarm clock.

Lastly, don’t give your phone any more utility than it deserves. Your old digital alarm clock still works just fine and doesn’t trigger any unhealthy, obsessive app checking once you put an end to its beeping. Not to mention, it’s way more annoying to press snooze five times when the clock isn’t just resting in the palm of your hand beneath your pillow. Make this switch and you might even make it to the gym more often as you choose to get out of bed and get the day going already.

Change is hard, but it’s definitely not impossible. If you’re serious about developing a healthier relationship with your phone, we have faith in your success. Once you unplug and look up, and realize what you’ve been missing, you won’t want to go back.