Everywhere I look, all I see are people looking down at their phones. Scarily enough, I see this on the highway all the time. Because I so often see people behind me looking down at their phones I am looking into getting a dashcam because it is only a matter of time before I get rear-ended.
I see car accidents almost daily and I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of people on their phones while driving.
Besides distracted driving, cell phones also lead to distractions in countless ways which I don’t feel is necessary to get into. You can probably list 10 ways right off the top of your head!
So let me ask you,
Do you feel you spend too much time on your phone?
Is it your goal to spend less time on your phone?
Detaching from your phone, which seems to almost be an extension of your body can be a difficult task but this is something you can do by building small, healthy habits over time.
Read on for some easy tips you can implement.
1. Don’t sleep with your phone in bed next to you.
Your phone is not your lover or partner. Keep it on your nightstand or in your drawer. Trust me, it will be ok.
Pillow talk is healthy for couples. Try engaging with your partner instead of checking your notifications, emails, or social media feed before bed. Single in bed? Read a book before bed to wind down from the day.
2. Turn off your phone at night.
The reason for this being, if you wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, to drink water, or wake up from noise or a dream, our first instinct can be to check our phones. If the phone is off already, we will be less inclined to check it. Also, we will not be woken up by the light from notifications.
3. Don’t use your phone in bed.
Keep technology out of bed! Keep your bed as your peaceful, quiet, stress-free space. Try it and see if it helps you sleep better at night.
4. Turn it over.
When you are trying to get work done, turn your phone over to prevent yourself from getting distracted by notifications. Try your hardest to resist the urge of turning it over!
5. Minimize apps.
Get rid of apps you don’t need or that waste your time.
I found that I was playing a game way too often so I deleted it. I missed the game for about a day or so before I didn’t think about it anymore. If you have it on your phone, you will instinctively use it.
6. Put it in your pocket.
Don’t use your phone when a friend is speaking to you, put it in your pocket. When you are spending time with friends, turn your phone off, turn off the notifications, or turn it on vibrate or silent. Be present with the people you care about.
7. Turn it on silent.
Not on vibrate…on silent mode!
My partner always gets annoyed with me because I constantly misplace my phone. Every single time he asks, “Do you want me to call it?” And every single time I tell him it’s on silent. My phone has been on silent since I got a cellphone over 10 years ago. Try it out, you just might like not being distracted.
8. Turn off all notifications.
Turn off your email and social media notification! It will set you free!
9. Put Your Phone Away While Driving.
It is honestly terrifying how many people I see on their phones while they are driving. So many people are injured or killed in accidents due to using phones while driving. I can’t even tell you how many people sit at green lights because they are on their phones and not paying attention to the road.
To squish this nasty habit and remove temptation, put your phone out of reach while driving.
10. Schedule Screen Free Time.
If you feel like you are on your screens a lot of that it is unavoidable for work, try scheduling “screen free time”. This can be as much or as little as you want. This can be an hour before bed, during meals with family, when you are with friends, for an hour in the morning…. the possibilities are endless. Give it a try with what works best for you.
If you are really on your phone all day then even just try 10 minutes of screen free time. See how it feels and if you succeed, try a few minutes more each time.
I hope these tips were helpful. These are just tips and ideas. Do what is best for you. Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips that work best for you that I missed!
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