As someone with a busy schedule and three hobbies on hold for "when I have free time," it is scary to notice how much of my free time passes by without me noticing it. Sometimes I pick up my phone for a short break, and before I know it, a full hour has passed. I don't necessarily wish I were being productive, but after an hour of scrolling, I feel even more tired. My eyes are tired from the screen, my back feels awkward from my bad posture, and my brain is overstimulated. And to be completely honest, I don’t remember 90% of what I just saw.
So lately, I’ve been trying to cut back on screen time and prioritize activities that help me feel present, rested, or happy. And it seems like I’m not alone in this. Many people I know are deleting social media apps, making rules about when and how they use them, or changing settings to make their phones less addictive. I admit I haven't looked particularly deeply into any study of the negative effects of screen time, and I won’t claim that it is actually bad for you. But just realizing how much time I spend on my phone and thinking of better things I could be doing with that time is enough for me to want to put my phone down. When I manage to do so, I feel like my day is longer, I get more done, and I feel less tired.
So, if you are on the same page, here are a few tips that I’ve been using to have a little more control over my free time:
Make it harder to use your phone
We often use our phones simply because they are the easiest and closest distraction to pick up. So make it less easy. Keep your phone in a bag or drawer, away from your bed, or out of sight. If you can’t see it or easily reach it, you are less likely to pick it up out of impulse. And if you have nowhere to put it, turn your phone off when you don’t want to use it. Just the effort of turning it back on might be enough to make you postpone picking it up. Even simply having the screen facing down can already make it less attractive to use. Once you have picked it up, you can make addictive apps harder to access with app blockers or by logging out of social media. The effort to log in might make you think twice before scrolling.
Use the features on your phone to your advantage
Reduce the urge to pick up your phone by turning off unnecessary notifications or using focus modes for work or rest. You can also set specific notification sounds for important messages, making it easier to ignore the others.
Some phones also allow you to turn off features like "tap to wake" or “raise to wake” to keep your phone from lighting up automatically. If the screen is still dark, you are less likely to use the phone.
Find better ways to spend your time
In the same way that you want to keep your phone harder to use, keep the habits you want to promote close by and visible. Leave a book on your bedside table or a musical instrument nearby to encourage you to pick those up instead. On top of that, make a list of quick activities you can do in 5 or 15 minutes when you need a break, like going on a walk or starting a puzzle. Plan your day including restful activities for your free time, so you’re less likely to reach for your phone.
Learn your patterns
Pay attention to what drives you to doom-scroll: boredom, procrastination, or perhaps a fear of missing out. Look for patterns of feelings, times of day, and apps that drive you to use your phone more than you want. This awareness can make it easier to change your habits. Try to identify when you are falling into the patterns that make you use your phone more, and try to replace it with other activities that are more suited for what you actually need, like picking up a hobby, getting some rest, or reaching out to a friend.
Keep yourself accountable
Set goals for your screen time and keep track of your progress. You can even add screen time widgets to your main screen to keep an eye on it. Schedule phone-free timeslots, like in the morning or before bed, as strict limits might be easier to stick to. Another idea is to work together with someone else. If you know someone else who wants to decrease their screen time, talk to them to keep each other accountable and help each other.
Would you also like to use more of your time with things that actually make you feel better? Then, which tips would you like to try out?
Written by Clara Gazzi
(Event organizer at TINT)
Write a comment