11 Tips to Break Your Smartphone Addiction

Can you live without your smartphone? Can you beat the impulsive urge to check your phone every minute? Smartphones play different roles in our lives with a vast field of applications that are meant to make life easier. Research says that the average smartphone user checks it over 1500 times weekly. The addiction is existent across all age groups since the study reports a widespread obsession with phones. But is that OK? Maybe it’s time to get out of the smartphone captivity and have a look around? Here are 11 tips on breaking your smartphone addiction.

Switch Off When Sleeping

Sleep is important for a productive mind; therefore, do not go to bed with your phone. This will assist in breaking the habit of browsing your phone before falling asleep. If you want better results, switch it off and do not keep it in the bedroom.

Delete Unnecessary Applications

Do you know you can live without Twitter or Facebook? They are not necessary unless you are a social media manager, or you need to update your business page. Applications are diverse with the emergence of new software and you can download any application. To break the addiction, you can delete all the applications that are not in use.

Observe Mealtime Etiquette

Do you check your text messages during meals? You should ensure that your phone is not within reach during meals. When you are out having dinner in a restaurant with friends, you can choose to put your phones in one place and the first person to check his/her phone pays the bill. This encourages conversation, and hence, reduces addiction.

Find a Hobby

It is easy to lose ourselves in technology and waste a lot of time on our smartphones every day. To prevent this from happening, find an activity to keep you busy after working hours. You can go to the movies, take a walk in the park, or go on a hike and make sure you leave your phone behind. If you are a student and need help with your business plan essay, you can use your phone to place an order, rather than mindlessly scroll it.

Buy a Wrist Watch

We all find ourselves checking the time on our smartphones, don’t we? In the process, we end up checking WhatsApp messages or Twitter feeds. To break this habit, buy a wrist watch and also, get a real alarm clock. Usually, we wake up holding our phones after hitting the snooze button. Subconsciously, we quickly log in to Facebook or Instagram even though there are no important feeds at that time.

Buy a Feature Phone

If you have an extreme addiction to your smartphone, then you probably need an extreme solution. You should consider buying a feature phone that you can use for a while. After you feel relieved from the addiction, you can start using your smartphone again.

Check Emails at Work

Are you the C.E.O of your company? If not, then do not check your emails immediately after you wake up. Wait for the proper working hours to reply to emails. It’s never that serious until it is, so you can always read them after checking in to your workstation.

Airplane Mode

This mode allows you to be mindful of your surroundings and reduces distraction. Whether you are driving, having dinner with your family, or working, it sets your mind free and reduces time spent on your smartphone. You can start by setting it for a few hours after work or when you are relaxing.

Customize or Mute Notifications

Your entire contact list is probably on WhatsApp messaging service, and the distraction and urges to pick up your phone after every beep is insane? You can be stuck in a vicious technological cycle of non-stop chatting, Instagramming, Facebooking and Tweeting. Your performance reduces at work because your mind is fixated on your phone. To solve this, turn off or mute all unnecessary notifications from social media or customize your device to vibration mode.

Go on a Phone Fast

Have you ever had a phone fast? You can limit your smartphone only for receiving and making calls or texting. Keep off social media for a week and you will realize that you can live without staring endlessly at your phone.

Keep Low Battery Charge

This tip is for the extremists who cannot keep their phones away. While your battery’s health may be compromised, a low charged phone prevents you from scrolling every time because you need to save the low battery. You will be conscious to use it only for emergencies or to receive calls.

Are You Ready for Freedom?

Smartphones are designed to make our lives easier. Yet, it seems the devices are smarter than us because they are taking over our lives. Research has proved that apps like Facebook have a serious impact on our mental health. Your phone is not a drug, so why the addiction? Follow the tips above and live a fulfilled life, don’t be a prisoner of your own device!