Are You Addicted to Your Phone? How to Break Bad Phone Habits
So many of us today are addicted to our smartphones.
On average, Americans check our phones 52 times per day, which adds up to nearly 19,000 times each year, according to research from Deloitte.
Smartphones are revolutionary tools that can enhance our lives in all sorts of ways. For instance, can you imagine going back to living without GPS technology at your fingertips?
But these powerful tools can take away from our quality of life if we aren’t careful. This relatively new phenomenon – after all, none of us had smartphones just 13 years ago – takes a toll on our relationships, our mental health, and our productivity.
Look around a restaurant the next time you’re out and notice how many dining companions are consumed by their phones – parents ignoring their children, couples caught up in work emails or social media, and families all looking at their devices instead of each other.
Have you been ignored by people you care about as they gaze at their phones? How does it make you feel? Are you guilty of doing the same to your loved ones?
We all have to learn to balance our real lives as they unfold right in front of us with this technology that puts the rest of the world in our hands. Here are my best tips for breaking your phone addiction in favor of the people and experiences that actually matter.
When you’re working, work. When you’re not, put down the phone.
This sounds so intuitive, but adjusting to a more intentional work schedule can be challenging. It’s okay to check in on work emails or messages during your down time, but do so when it’s not inconveniencing others.
On the weekends, I put my phone on Do Not Disturb mode. I can check for important updates when I want to, but when I’m with Mike I want to focus my quality time on him. Some people take a “digital Sabbath” where they turn their phones off one day a week in favor of family and spiritual activities. Work can always wait until you power on again.
When you do send emails during off hours, be respectful of your colleagues’ time too. Don’t send disagreeable emails late at night. And don’t look at emails that might raise your blood pressure late at night either. They can affect the quality of your sleep.
Find out what’s really behind your addiction.
It’s worth introspection into what you’re addicted to on your phone and why that is the case. Is it Facebook? Email? Instagram? Texting? Breaking news? Perhaps it’s a combination of those. Once you know what it is you’re really addicted to, you can take measures to curb your reliance on that particular bad habit.
You can take practical steps like changing your notification settings so you don’t see all of those “breaking news alerts” you can’t help but click. Moving time-consuming apps to inconvenient spots like your furthest screen of apps so you have to scroll through to access it is another way to cut down on use.
Beyond that, you can address what’s really missing. For example, you might really need face-to-face interaction with friends rather than scrolling through Facebook. Or in order to feel well-informed on a topic you care about, you’re better off reading a book or taking a class than skimming a news article.
Use technology to your advantage.
There are a lot of apps that will help you cut back on screen use.
- Stop the constant stream of interruptions by using iPhone’s Do Not Disturb setting, which looks like a moon on the Control Center (tip: you can automatically set Do Not Disturb mode to engage while you’re driving), Airplane Mode, or Screen Time on the most recent iOS update, which allows you to schedule downtime, place limits on app use, and monitor your use over time.
- The Go Gray app turns your phone from technicolor back to the old black and white TV days. When your phone looks less appealing, it will be less appealing.
- The Freedom app goes beyond iPhone’s capabilities to limit app use, allowing you to restrict access to apps and websites across multiple devices. This is especially helpful if your Facebook addiction carries over from your phone to your desktop when you should be working.
Live in the moment.
Often when we turn to our phones we are seeking a small distraction from real life. That might be okay if you’re in line at the dry cleaner’s or waiting on an elevator, but what about all of the moments when you could be talking to your spouse, watching your kids play, or thinking of new ideas for your business?
Rather than fearing what you’re missing out on social media, the real thing to fear is what you’re missing right in front of you because you’re absorbed in your screen.
Growing your business with increased sales and revenue is only part of the life-changing mentorship I offer my Celeste Giordano Coaching clients. We also focus on strategies to boost quality of life, so they enjoy their success without sacrificing what’s most important like faith, family, and service. If you’re frustrated with your lack of work-life balance, contact me today.
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