Phone addiction is becoming a real problem these days. Unfortunately, the number of people who think their lives would feel empty without an endless supply of apps, pics, and videos is not small — and it’s growing.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. On the contrary!
In this article, I’m offering some tips to help you use your phone less and get your life back.
1. Install a timeline blocker extension
This is probably the easiest way to get rid of your phone addiction. Just install an extension on your browser and let it do its magic while you’re online.
The extension will block all distracting sites and apps from popping up when you open your browser and prevent the web browser’s current page from loading. It then displays a progress bar showing the percentage of the page that’s loaded.
When it reaches 100%, the page will load normally. This is useful for keeping tabs on how much time you spend on each site and helps you avoid wasting time online by blocking distracting sites before they even load.
2. Don’t bring your phone to bed
One of the best ways to keep yourself in check is to simply not bring your phone into your bedroom in the first place. It’s no secret that phones emit blue light, which disrupts your circadian rhythm and makes it harder for you to fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
Leaving your phone in another room will also help you focus on more important things than social media and emails in the morning. If you need an alarm clock, just buy a cute standalone one that won’t tempt you to check Instagram at 7 am.
3. Uninstall distracting apps
Apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can help you pass the time when you don’t have anything else to do, but they can also cause stress and anxiety if you spend too much time on them.
Remember that hours spent on social media are hours you can’t spend sleeping, exercising, or going outside for fresh air.
You might want to try removing these apps from your phone temporarily (or even permanently) so you aren’t tempted to login every time you turn on your phone. Chances are that once you do, you’ll feel a lot better.
4. Take a break from social media
Social media is becoming increasingly important in our lives nowadays. It’s also taking up a lot more time than we think.
In fact, the average person spends over 2 and a half hours on social media per day! Platforms like Instagram and Facebook encourage us to constantly check in on what others are doing instead of living our own lives. These services can sometimes become addicting because we use them all the time, especially when we’re feeling lonely or depressed.
Instead of scrolling, go outside in nature and start living your own adventures! You might find that this is exactly what you need to start feeling calmer, happier, and healthier.
Takeaway
You can still take care of yourself and live life to the fullest without a smartphone. In fact, this might be exactly what you need in order to build better in-person connections and have more free time.
If you take a break from your phone, you may be shocked by how much time it will free up – time you can use to build a side hustle, spend quality time with your spouse, and a million other things.
Your phone can be used to stay in touch with people and help you organize your life. But don’t let it control you. There’s a difference between healthy use and addiction.
Are you spending hours on end on your phone? Do you often feel stressed or depressed? These are signs you should take a step back and re-evaluate how you’re using your phone.
Though changing your habits is not easy in the beginning, the long-term effects are well worth it!
