Technology is a great thing until we abuse it
Your phone dings again.
You see another email has hit your inbox. Your unread emails now hit 8,455, according to Gmail.
You’re tired of the noise. You’ve tried to change your notification sound, put it on vibrant, snd it doesn’t matter.
No matter what you do to separate yourself from your phone, it always ends up in your hand.
You feel like you're fighting an uphill battle with no real solution in sight. It’s time for a change.
Let’s cover some actions you can take right now to spend more of your life in the real world.
You’ll be so much happier, feel more fulfilled, and will build more genuine relationships.
Without further ado, let’s get you back to real life.
5 Steps to Limit Your Phone Usage
1. Become Aware Every Time You Reach for Your Phone
This step may sound easy, but it’s really not.
This is because our phones have become such an integrated part of our lives, we don’t even realize we’re using them half the time.
You have become so reliant on your phone for everything.
From communicating with people, GPS, and searching for the best Mexican restaurant in town, you rely on your phone a lot.
You are far from alone. A new study has revealed that 85% of people use their phones when talking to friends and family. We can’t even take our eyes off the screen when talking to loved ones.
By thinking before grabbing your phone, you will become more conscious of how many times you do it a day.
2. Look at Your Usage Stats
If you use an iPhone, you can see exactly how much time you spend on your phone a day.
Android has something similar. The point is, you need to know how many hours you are on your phone a day.
Once you figure out how much time you normally spend on it, you can set goals to get that number down.
You should start small. If you normally spend five hours a day on your phone, aim for four and a half.
Do this for a week straight. Once that becomes the new normal, try to get that number down even more until you are happy with it.
3. Delete All of the Time Consuming Apps
I probably don’t have to name them, but I will anyway.
Start with the social media apps.
Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, are all some of the biggest time-consuming apps ever made. That’s not an exaggeration.
These apps make money by keeping you on them for as long as possible. The more time you spend on them, the more money they make.
Next, you should delete the games on your phone.
While they are fun and are a good distraction, they kill your productivity. Deleting games and social media by itself will cut your phone usage in half.
4. Use Your Time Wisely
Since you won’t be on your phone anymore, you need something to do.
Ideally, this won’t be another time-wasting activity. What you need to be doing is something productive.
This could be going to the gym, reading a book, or working on a business plan.
It doesn’t all have to be working hard and being super productive all the time.
You could spend time with friends and family, meditate, or go out for a hike or to the new restaurant down the street.
Whatever you choose, make sure it’s a better usage of your time than staring at your phone screen.
5. Don't Leave Your Phone on the Bedside Table
This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when trying to spend less time on your phone.
Many people check their email or social media right after waking up in the morning. They then check it right before going to bed.
Using your phone right before you go to sleep and when you wake up is not what you want to do.
By doing so, it can be easy to develop an addiction to it.
Instead, try to not use your phone the last hour you are awake. Don’t touch your phone until an hour after you wake up.
This will decrease your usage time and you will feel better right away.
Spend Your New Found Time Wisley
Now that you are no longer harassed by the dings on your phone, you will experience life as it was meant to be.
You now have a plan to get off your phone.
You can now look your friends and family members in the eye when talking to them.
The more you practice the steps above, the easier it will be for you to spend less time on your phone.
Once you practice enough and get really good at it, you will feel like your living a whole new life.
You will be living in the present moment instead of documenting everything for social media.
You will look and feel much better about yourself.
Now get to it.
