I’ve been there too. The mindless scrolling and checking in on social media.
But a while back, I kicked the knee-jerk habit, and while I can’t say my hone never distracts me, I’ve certainly learned to utilize it more and use it much less.
Here’s what worked for me.
1. Keep your phone out of reach by parking it elsewhere
Pretend it’s a landline. Use your focus modes to turn off distracting notifications and keep the ringer on for phone calls. I don’t know about you, but my friends call if something’s urgent. Otherwise, they text, and I check it between tasks. They know I’ll respond when I’m not focused on something else.
2. Enable emergency bypass
This way you’re not worried about switching on your focus mode and missing an important bit of communication. Most phones offer this setting. It allows you to list VIPs like your spouse and family members who may need to get in touch with you for truly urgent matters.
3. Only pick up your phone if you have a reason to
Pick it up if it rings, you need to make a call, you want to send a text, etc. Those are the obvious ones, but even if you grab it with the intent to check social media, go in with that purpose. See what’s up once or twice a day, and when you’re up to date, leave the app.
4. Avoid auto-replying to non-urgent messages
Unless it truly is a good time, emails and texts can often wait. If you spend a lot of time texting here and there and find that distracting, try scheduling some time later to respond. Not only does this help prevent the back-and-forth interruption, but taking your time allows you to draft a more thoughtful response.
5. Quit multitasking
Whether you’re eating, hanging out with a friend, or even watching TV, you’ll enjoy yourself a lot more without your phone dividing your attention. Create a set of rules for yourself.
When I’m at the table, I leave my phone in the other room.
When I have company, I keep my phone out of sight.
6. Declutter your apps
Only keep the most used ones and ditch the rest. That way, finding the one you want takes less time, and you’re not distracted by time-wasters along the way. Another useful feature is hiding apps from your home screen but keeping them in your library.
7. Avoid capturing the moment through your phone’s viewfinder
You don’t need to film an entire concert or take enough photos to fill an album at one party. The burden of social proof is that we spend time watching some pretty awesome moments through a screen, trying to centre it, focus it, and get it just right rather than experiencing it to the fullest.
Most of all
When you notice you’re distracted, ask yourself if you’d rather pay attention to the phone or be in the moment.
You’ll likely go with the latter.
Ultimately, see it as a tool—utilize it more, use it less—and you’ll be well on your way to reducing your screen time.