Self-Care Strategies: Spend less time on your phone

That’s time you could be giving to yourself!  

Let us first clarify. Our “phones” are amazing little high-speed, technological multi-tools. They have become computers, televisions, and radios. They've even become flashlights, compasses, maps, and other tools. And good or bad, with social media and texting, our "phones" have changed how we communicate. Interpersonal communication and human engagement are tied to battery life, algorithms, and the whims of billionaires.

Being a telephone - that old-timey contraption humans used to use to speak with someone who wasn't in the room, has become the least important task we expect from our devices.

So, when we say “spend less time on your phone” what we mean is, use it wisely.

If you’re chatting with a friend, checking in on one of your elders, or making plans to meet up with people, that time is well spent. Connecting with others (in a positive way, obviously), is great self-care.

Calling your bank, ordering a pizza for movie night, or scheduling the plumber is also, most likely, time well spent. Ticking off boxes on your to-do list and taking care of business can, not only make you feel like you’ve accomplished something, but it can make your life more efficient, which also relieves stress and anxiety.

It’s also time well spent, if you’re using an app for something like a guided meditation, a tabata timer for a workout, listening to music or a podcast while you’re driving or on a walk, or using an app to help you track good habits, nutrition, fitness progress, or helping you quit nicotine.

There are many, many awesome ways that little pocket computer can help us take care of our health and wellness.

But if we think about all the ways we use our phones that are not helping us live a better life, we probably need to put it down and out of sight. If it’s not providing us with less stress, anxiety, and chronic illness, if it’s not providing us with more health and wellness, and if we’re not using it as a tool, instead of becoming the tools… we probably need to cut back on our phone time.

Here are a few suggestions:

1.      Make your phone boring. Try deleting the apps that suck up your day and live without them for a week. You can always download them again, if you want to.

2.      Commit to calling people instead of texting them. Speaking with people, instead of texting, makes communication faster, easier, and more accurate. Plus, hearing people’s voices can be a nice thing, in most cases.

3.      Track your time and give yourself a limit. Keep track of how much time you’re really on your phone. If it’s longer than you’re comfortable with, come up with an amount of time that feels right for you. Make that your phone screen limit.

4.      If you’d like to cut down on social media, remove the apps you feel are the biggest problem for you. Maybe you find yourself in a TikTok hole for an hour, when you thought it was only ten minutes. Or perhaps an hour on Facebook fills you with misery, instead of positive connections. When you “delete” an app, it’s not really gone. It’s in your apps. You just download it again. It doesn’t take a long time, but it does make it more inconvenient to access. If it’s less convenient, you’re less likely to use it. You may find that you’ve found something better to fill your time with. Which leads us to…

5.      Replace the habit with something that contributes to your health and wellness, rather than taking it away. For example, meditate, workout, go for a walk, plan your meals for the week, read a book, have a dance party behind your desk, check off something from your to-do list, get coffee with a friend, or call an elder to see how they’re doing.

6.      Create “No Phone Zones” for yourself and your family.  No phones at the dining table, in bedrooms, or the family room. Turn the phone off in your car or during a family movie night. You get the idea.

7.      If you find that you don’t have the willpower, you could ironically use an app to help you manage your screen time. Screen time management apps have become more common and accessible. They're not just for parental controls. They're great for adults looking for an assist with self-control. Here’s an article on CNet "Best Apps to Help Manage Screen Time."