I didn’t realize how much screen time I was consuming until I turned that feature on my iPhone. Between social networking, work (because everything I do is online), Facetime, text, games, etc. there was one day that it said I hit 7 hours. Granted, I checked because I KNEW it was excessive that day, I just didn’t know quite how bad it really was. My average was between 4-5 hours. That was the moment I decided I needed to be more intentional about how I am using my phone in particular. I’ve even had moments when I catch myself watching tv with my laptop open and on my phone. That’s 3 screens trying to grab my attention at once…and yet I wonder why I struggle with focus or memory sometimes.
I made my goal to keep my screen time under 3 hours. That still sounds like a lot, but at minimum, I have to spend 1 hour on my phone per day for work, leaving 2 hours for everything else.
Here are a few things that have helped me stick to this goal👇🏻
1- Because social media is my job, I’m trying to do more work on my laptop instead of my phone. I also do work first before I let myself scroll or get taken down the TikTok rabbit hole.
2- I set time limits on apps I use a lot so it gives me warnings and kicks me out when I’ve hit my limit. 📱 Sometimes it’s tempting to keep hitting the “remind me in 15 minutes” button though.
3- I keep my phone physically away from me. Because I have an Apple Watch, I can see calls and texts coming in so I can always run to my phone if I need to answer a call. Don’t have a watch? Keep your alerts on loud so you hear it. I didn’t think I would like having an Apple Watch, but it really can help cut back on scrolling and keep you updated with the things you actually should know about, like calls and texts.
4- Delete time sucking apps, especially games!
5- I’m trying to view phone time as a reward for productivity to keep me on task. Notifications wreck your train of thought so disable as many as you can.
So far I have noticed more focus on my work which leads to better productivity. I like being intentional with my time and get such a feeling of satisfaction when my weekly average pops up within my goal.
I hope you can try a few of these tips to help cut down on your screen time and protect your sanity too!
