Technology has multiple benefits but can also be distracting, so how do we reduce screen time? If you have a desk job you probably spend over 10 hours per day on screen time. We’re always on our laptops, phones, or TVs. Since the pandemic, this number could be higher as we’re stuck in the house all day.
Too much screen time can cause unproductivity, eye problems, cause erratic sleep patterns, anxiety, and in some extreme cases depression. That said, you should reduce screen time for a much happier and productive life. While it may be relaxing to watch TV, play video games, or social media you should look for other alternate hobbies that don’t involve looking at a screen.
Here are 11 tips and strategies you can use to reduce screen time:
Track your screentime
Make an effort to track how much time you’re spending in front of the screen. There are plenty of tools that can track the time you’re spending on your phone. If you’re on iOS you can turn on the screen time function. If you’re on android there’s plenty of apps on Google Play store that can help you track your screen time. Tracking this can help you reduce screen time.
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Set a limit
Once you start tracking your screen time, you become aware of the applications you’re using the most. If you realize you’re spending too much time on social media channels like Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook you can have your phone turn them off in the settings. This will help increase your productivity and help you reduce screen time.
Delete Applications
Tracking and setting limits on your screen time may not always work since you can override the limits. If you’re this type of person you might want to go cold turkey and delete your unproductive applications altogether. Before deleting the application you might want to change the app location on your phone to switch things up to break the habit. Deleting applications that make you unproductive during the day will help reduce screen time.
Disable Notifications
Notifications have taken control of our lives. Every time your phone beeps your first instinct is to stop whatever you’re doing and immediately check your phone. This is a very unhealthy relationship. This is allowing your phone to control you. Notifications can be very distracting, once you click on a notification it’s like going down a rabbit hole, before you know it, you’re 2 hours in.
To reduce screen time disable your notifications or determine how often you recieve notifications from your applications. Remove all the push notifications that are not urgent or life-changing.
Phone Free Bedroom
Most of us charge our phones in the bedroom and use them as alarm clocks. Strive to have a phone-free bedroom. The blue light from phones and laptops just before bed affects our overall sleep quality. Charging your phone in the bedroom is not a good idea because you will be tempted to check for messages before bed. Look to charge your phone in another room. Invest in an alarm clock as well. This is to avoid being tempted to look at your notifications first thing in the morning.
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Phone Free Bathroom
Have a phone-free bathroom policy in your household. We all know men who spend 20 to 30 minutes in the bathroom on their phones. Taking phones to the bathroom is also quite unsanitary because you’ll touch the bathroom door, the toilet seat & then touch your phone. You’ll wash your hands and forget to sanitize your phone. This is why phones are dirtier than an average toilet seat. To reduce screen time and maintain cleanliness it’s best not to take your phone to the bathroom.
Switch to Grayscale
Switch from color to grayscale on your phone. Both android and iOS have the grayscale option. This will discourage you from looking at your phone because everything has lost its visual appeal and appears to be dull. This will help reduce screen time. You can even schedule your grayscale to appear at a time when you’re trying to be productive.
Screen Free Areas
Screen time tends to affect the people you live with more than we’d like to admit. To salvage these relationships, if you live with people it’s best to have screen-free areas where no one is allowed to have phones, laptops, or TVs. This will encourage face-to-face interactions which relationships thrive on. The dining area is one place that can be a screen-free area. This will allow you to bond while you’re having meals.
Leave work at work
Avoid checking your work emails at home, while you may have a job that requires you to always be on the clock, you need to set some boundaries. It increases your screen time and may even cause stress and anxiety in the long run. You should not always be accessible when you clock out, let someone else deal with any problems that may arise at work.
Take up a hobby
After reducing your screen time, you will have a lot of free time. Take up a hobby to fill up this time. You can pick up hobbies that do not require screen time like DIY projects, read a paperback novel, go hiking or camping, or even take a walk. These are more relaxing activities as opposed to social media and other screen activities.
Celebrate the wins
Reducing screen time is not a walk in the park. It takes time and practice to be able to control your screen time. You may delete a social media app and re-install it a couple of days or weeks later. It’s okay and it’s very important to celebrate the wins no matter how small. Work on reducing your screen hours. This will improve your productivity, creativity, and to some extent overall health