How To Reduce Screen Time On Phone: 5 Helpful Strategies To Help You Stay Connected With The Real World

With the average person now spending a staggering amount of time daily staring at screens, learning how to reduce screen time on phone has become crucial for protecting both mental health and physical well-being.

Did you know that an average person spends around 11 hours looking at a screen? Shockingly, this number skyrocketed to 19 hours during the pandemic! Nevertheless, the ongoing issue of spending too much time looking at screens is in full force, and it’s time to do something about it. While it’s usually your eyes that feel most of that strain, you might be surprised that this affects your mental health too. For instance, have you ever woken up groggy despite getting plenty of sleep? You can already guess the reason for that. With that said, you should learn how to reduce screen time on your phone.

For some of you, reducing screen time is a challenging task. You might spend most of your time working in front of a computer, so it may seem like you have no way out. As cheesy as it sounds, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, even when it comes to limiting your screen time. By becoming aware of how long you spend looking at screens and taking the necessary steps to decrease that time, you’ll be one step closer to a more mindful and engaging life.

We’re taking a closer look at how to reduce screen time on your phone as an adult. 

How To Reduce Screen Time On Phone Tips

We understand it may seem like an unbreakable bond, but to feel more connected with the world around you, you should dial down your relationship with screens. Here’s how to reduce screen time on your phone.

1.| Make Your Phone Less Fun

Seems impossible, doesn’t it? Most of us are in love with the “social media breaks” in between work tasks, but we all know how deep you can fall into the rabbit hole. By the time you become aware of it, you’ve already wasted an hour on your phone. But, know that it’s entirely not your fault. Instead, the main culprit is how much your phone is fun to you!

Platforms like Instagram and TikTok have super-developed algorithms that show you the right content at the right time. No wonder why you get stuck in a scrolling cycle! Additionally, when a notification pops up on our screen, our brains instantly produce serotonin due to the connection to the outside world. Naturally, we can’t do anything but indulge, so we quickly pick up our phones and check what the rave is all about.

How to reduce your screen time on your phone in this situation? Just make your feeds less interesting! Firstly, disable your notifications so nothing distracting comes up. Of course, today’s devices are so sophisticated that you can choose your “priority” contacts, or people who you want to receive notifications from. If you’re using Instagram as a main source of communication, consider switching to a less time-consuming platform.

Another way to reduce screen time on your phone as an adult is by “limiting” what you see. You already know which accounts you spend the most time on, so if they’re not anyone important (close friends or family), just hit that unfollow button. It may be a bittersweet goodbye, but trust that it’s for your own good.

2.| Set Up Time Limits

Although social media affects our connection and perception of the outside world, the choice of how it does that lies in our hands. Namely, developers have taken the time to implement time constraints on their apps, limiting how much you’re using them. They are somewhat discreetly hidden through menus, but you should definitely take advantage of them.

For instance, if you spend most of your time on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and the occasional Facebook scroll, set up time limits for them. You will be asked to put a code that overrides the lock in emergency cases, but we all know easily we can abuse this. In this case, in your journey to how to reduce screen time on your phone, you might want to get some outside help.

Instead of entering the code yourself, have someone else do it for you! That way, you won’t have a clue about it, meaning you won’t be tempted to use the apps once the time limit has passed. This can be anyone from a family member, partner, or close friend – just ensure you can easily contact them in case of a real emergency. And also, if you’re the persuasive type, instruct your friends not to budge no matter how diligent you may be.

3.| Have A No Phone Day

One of the benefits of reducing screen time is you feel more connected to the world around you. Because we’re constantly fed with content, our perceptions of reality can easily get clouded, meaning a digital detox is more than recommended.

Now, if you ever tried quitting social media cold turkey, chances are you might not have been so successful. Yet again, don’t blame yourself – you just haven’t used the right approach. Instead of quitting altogether, have a no-phone day. This means not picking up your phone for the entire time no matter what the situation might be. Meanwhile, try to keep your mind occupied. Take the time to catch up on your favorite book, reorganize your spaces, and indulge in some self-care. Finally, be sure to inform your closest circle of your no-phone day, and put your devices on “do not disturb” mode so you don’t get distracted.

4.| Read A Book On It

Of course, professional help always comes in handy when it comes to how to reduce screen time on phone. Luckily, the topic of how much time we spend looking at screens has been quickly picked up and researched by scientists, leading them to write self-help books. These offer tons of practical information and useful tips on how to detach yourself from your phone and invest your valuable time in something else instead. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• The Shallows: What The Internet Is Doing To Our Brains by Nicholas Carr

• Digital Madness: How Social Media Is Driving Our Mental Health Crisis – And How To Restore Our Sanity by Nicholas Kardaras, Ph.D 

• Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked by Adam Alter

5.| Use Screen Limiting Apps

If using the platform-integrated time constraints doesn’t help, you can always use third-party apps instead. Platforms like One Sec, Forest, and Opal feature a range of settings to optimize your screen time to be effective for your mental health. Most of them are hidden behind a subscription, but this may be an investment worth making. After all, you can’t put a price on your well-being.

Benefits Of Reduced Screen Time

Once you notice your screen time numbers dropping, you’ll also experience a great deal of benefits! 

1. Less Stress
   For starters, you won’t feel as stressed anymore. You may not realize it, but doom-scrolling through social media and working endless hours on the computer directly affects your nervous system, increasing stress hormone production. By taking some time away from screens, the chemicals in your body will balance, and you’ll find yourself in a much better mood, with less anxiety and depression, and more empathy towards others.

   
   

2. Enhanced Physical Activity
   
   The next big thing – physical activity. We’ve all heard about how screens are slowly turning us into couch potatoes, directly affecting our physical health. Keep it up for too long, and we put ourselves at risk of weight gain, high blood pressure, and even joint problems. Not to mention the countless posture problems! So, instead of staring at screens for two hours, use the time to do some physical activity. If you don’t have time for a gym or yoga session, even a short walk would do!
   
   
3. Improved Focus & Brain Function
   
   Finally, taking a break from screens can also improve your focus and brain function. The internet is known to reward us for doing minimal work which lowers our attention span. So, whenever you have a difficult task coming up at work and you can feel the tension rising within you, hit the brakes for a second and turn your attention to something more mindful. After this becomes routine, distraction will be a thing of the past!

Knowing how to reduce screen time on your phone is one thing – putting these strategies into action is another. However, don’t rush through the process. Instead, keep up to your own pace as long as you’re putting in the effort. Slowly, but surely, you’ll notice how limiting your digital life improves your connection to the real one. Be persistent and take initiative towards your health!