After a lot of May Gray and June Gloom, the summer sun has finally started to show up. And that probably has you itching to spend more time outside, at least in theory. But then your phone sends you an alert. You pick it up — and suddenly you’ve spent an hour scrolling.
If that sounds familiar, you might feel like you spend too much time on your phone. You’re certainly not alone. Americans report spending an average of nearly four and a half hours on their phones each day. That amounts to two months out of the year.
That’s alarming!
If you’re trying to reduce your screen time, we’ve got some tips. Here are a few ways to fight spending too much time on your phone.
Don’t keep it near your bed
That same cell phone use report we linked above revealed that a whopping 89% of people check their phones within 10 minutes of waking up. That’s a problem.
Why? Because when you wake up without going straight to a screen, your brain moves from the delta waves of deep sleep to daydreamy theta waves to alpha waves that help you feel awake but still relaxed.
Grabbing your phone right away, though, pushes you straight from delta waves to beta waves that make you fully alert. You don’t give your brain time to transition properly through its natural phases. This makes you more distractible. Plus, any bad news you see on your phone first thing — from a worrisome headline to an annoying work email — kicks your stress levels up right away.
Ultimately, this isn’t a great way to start your day, and it makes you more likely to grab your phone the rest of the day.
Additionally, looking at your phone too close to bedtime can have a negative impact on your ability to fall asleep and the quality of sleep you are getting. Texting and using social media prior to bed keep us up — ultimately delaying REM, where we experience the most productive sleep. Lastly, exposure to blue light tricks our brain’s circadian rhythm, making falling asleep harder.
Putting our phones away from our beds helps us both wake up and fall asleep much more naturally. Instead, try a traditional alarm clock or only use your phone for this feature.
Turn off social media notifications
Sure, there are some phone alerts you need to get, like a Slack notification during the workday or a call from a family member. But you don’t need to get pinged for every little thing. That’s especially true when it comes to social media.
Turn off alerts and you might find yourself grabbing your phone less often. If your friends use your DMs as a way to stay in touch, just let them know a text is a better way to reach you now, or schedule out specific times that you dedicate towards checking your notifications.
Constant bombardment with notifications can trigger symptoms of anxiety. Research shows that those who are exposed to constant notifications are more likely to experience higher levels of impulsivity and stress that ultimately affect cognitive processes.
All of those notifications will still be there when you open your app. But turning off that little red dot can save you from feeling the need to open the app — and probably ending up scrolling — on such a regular basis.
Move your apps
We have a test for you. Try to open up your phone and click to your preferred apps without looking at the screen. Did it work? If so, you might find yourself doing that exact thing out of habit rather than an actual desire to look at your phone.
To fight that tendency and the urge to spend too much time on your phone, rearrange your apps. Just moving them to different places periodically can help you stop autopiloting and sinking time into your phone.
Create phone-free time
You might stash it in a drawer from 9 pm to 9 am. Or you might just make it a point to put it away for an hour at whatever point works for you during the day. Find what’s best for you, but make an effort to get that phone physically separated from you for a while.
It will feel odd at first. Stay the course. You’re breaking a habit and it’s always hardest at the start. If you’re really struggling — or really wanting to reap the benefits here — you might even try a digital detox.
Find something else to do with your time
When you’re in that phone-free time, it helps to find something else to occupy your hands and your mind. You might try gardening (even on a windowsill), macrame, doing a puzzle, or going on a walk. You could sign up for a yoga class in the park or ride your bike down to the beach. Try reading a chapter in that book that’s been on your nightstand for ages or doing some stretching or breathing exercises.
This isn’t about checking a to-do off your list. It’s about finding something you genuinely enjoy. Less time on your phone means more time to find out what makes you feel happy and fulfilled.
Spending too much time on your phone isn’t just a waste of your hours. It can also have some serious mental health ramifications. Fortunately, you have the power to change your phone use and address any mental health challenges you’re facing. And you don’t have to do it alone. For support and guidance, get in touch with our therapists at the Ventura Counseling & Wellness Center and the West Valley Counseling Center.
