How to Battle Your Never-Ending Phone Addiction

Chances are: you're reading this on your phone right now. Maybe you're bored at work, have a little time between classes, or just randomly stumbled upon this page while mindlessly scrolling.

 

When I think about the amount of time I spend looking at my phone each day, I … simply don't. I've turned off my screen time feature solely because every time I looked at it I fell into a spiral of self-loathing.

 

This year, one of my New Year's resolutions was to spend less time looking at screens in general, but particularly my phone. I felt that every time I picked up my phone to do one simple thing, like look up the name of a TV show, I ended up spending a minimum of 15 minutes checking all my social media apps, texting people, or whatever else. Then I would get to the point where I would forget what I even meant to do in the first place, so I’d check something else and start the cycle all over again.

 

Studies show that each day the average American spends approximately four hours and 37 minutes on our cell phones. That ends up equating to about 70 days a year or two entire months. Put another way: over the course of six years, you spend a full year looking at your phone. 

 

So, is it even possible to battle your phone addiction? After all, we are using devices created by multi-billion dollar companies who are doing everything they can to take every ounce of our attention. 

 

After much trial and error, I have found a system to start weaning myself off of my phone and take my life back. Not to mention, I have even picked up a few new hobbies that have helped me stay off my phone. Here are some of the ways that I have slowly started to cut back on the amount of time I spend on screens.

 

Tip 1: Turn on Your Screen Time (I Know It's Embarrassing)

I get it. You don't really want to know the actual number of hours you are spending on your phone each day because it really isn't good for your self-esteem. Trust me, I've been there. 

 

There was one day a few months ago where I spent almost nine hours on my phone. But the first step to holding yourself accountable is knowing where to start. Once you have your screen time on for about a week, write down how many hours a day you're spending on your phone.

 

Tip 2: Look at Your App Split

Where are you wasting most of your time? Is it mindless social media scrolling? A 10th attempt at beating that super hard Candy Crush level? Look at the places you are spending the largest amounts of time. Ask yourself if what you're doing is productive, like checking an email, or if you're doing it just to pass the time.

 

Tip 3: Download a Focus App

I found that I waste most of my time scrolling on Instagram and TikTok. Both apps can suck me away from my life for hours without even noticing. 

 

I recently downloaded an app called ScreenZen. Yes, it seems counter-intuitive to download another app to prevent yourself from apps, but that’s just the battle we’re fighting. This app allows you to put limits on certain apps with the amount of times you can open them per day. While this has been the most effective app for me, there are tons of other similar time-savers on the market.

 

Some even allow you to turn monitoring your screen time into a game such as Forest where you grow different plants. The longer you spend without checking your phone, the more plants you get added to your collection. By downloading one of these apps, you give yourself an extra barrier to avoid mindlessly picking up your phone. 

 

Tip 4: Give Yourself Some Grace

It is hard not to get frustrated with yourself for spending so much time doing something so pointless, but this is something many of us have spent the majority of our lives doing.

 

Even though it sounds silly, screens are feeding our brains and giving us dopamine, so weaning yourself off is easier said than done. Be nice to yourself!

 

By following these steps, you allow yourself to utilize your phone as the tool it was actually made to be used as rather than a time-sucking piece of metal. Even though I have gone through trial and error with these processes, I have found myself slowly but surely cutting down on my screen time.