Many people share the experience of feeling overwhelmed by screen time in today’s modern world.
Technology plays a significant, often essential role in daily life, particularly for freelancers. Although technology, including the internet and social media, offers numerous advantages, it can also adversely affect mental and physical well-being.
Vision problems, sleep disturbances, and even depression can result from excessive screen time. All you need is to improve your relationship with your smartphone. We will help you find a balance between health and smartphone.
#1 Track Screen Time
During the pandemic, adults worked from home, traveled less, and reduced dining out while relying more on screens for connectivity. As things reopen, it’s a good idea to assess screen time and establish limits.
Screen time functions on smartphones allow you to monitor daily and weekly usage, as well as set limits for social media apps. If a limit is set, a screen notification will alert you when the time is up. Regain control over screen time by evaluating non-work or non-school screen usage and replacing it with screen-free activities like walks or hikes.
#2 Create Tech-free Zones
After considering the previous suggestion, I started contemplating other areas that might be suitable for designating as “tech-free zones”. In my perspective, the bathroom should be the top priority since it can be unhygienic and hinders one from concentrating on necessary tasks. Additionally, it would be advisable to designate the dining room, along with any other eating areas, as tech-free zones. This would not only help avoid uncleanliness but also provide an opportunity to spend quality time with family or get to know team members better.
#3 Remove Unnecessary
Excessive amounts of iPhone applications and a huge amount of media content are the main culprits of wasting time. Try to increase your productivity by deleting phone apps, unnecessary photos, etc. If you need help, try the phone cleaner to declutter your iPhone. It automatically looks for junk and what is not of value, and then suggests deleting it. In addition to having fewer files to sort through when searching for important information, you’ll also experience a boost in smartphone performance.
#4 Take Regular Breaks
Ensure you take breaks and divert your gaze from the screen every 30 minutes if you work in front of a screen. Make it a habit to stand up, stretch, and move around. To keep your muscles loose while sitting, perform back and neck stretches. Incorporate “chair yoga” moves into your routine and practice them for five minutes at regular intervals throughout the day.
#5 Switch to Grayscale
You can transform your phone’s display to grayscale on both iOS and Android operating systems. Doing so will remove the vibrant colors from your screen, which is effective in combating phone addiction.
- For iPhone users, navigate to Settings, then select Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters. Finally, toggle the switch to enable the Grayscale option.
- Android users can achieve this by accessing the Settings panel and finding the Digital Wellbeing section. Choose Wind Down and opt to enable Grayscale immediately or schedule it for a later time.
#6 Set Clear Work Boundaries
Scope creep has a notable impact: as your work time gradually infringes on your spare time, your screen time rises. To prevent this, follow these steps:
- Establish fixed working hours daily. Ensure your clients and colleagues are aware of these hours.
- Disable work-related notifications outside of your work hours.
- Furthermore, maintaining clear work boundaries aids in cultivating a healthier work-life balance and preventing burnout.
#7 Turn Off Notifications
Focusing can be challenging when your phone incessantly buzzes with notifications from messaging apps and social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram. To address this, you can activate Do Not Disturb or Focus Assist to silence notifications in general. Additionally, customize your settings to receive notifications solely from selected apps and determine their display duration.
#8 Digital Sabbatical
Schedule a day or weekend to have a complete digital detox. Switch off your phone, computer, and other digital devices, and rediscover the pleasures of life away from screens.
#9 Pursue Offline Activities
Taking a pause from our screens is undoubtedly challenging, but setting aside time for offline activities can provide much-needed rest for our eyes.
During weekdays, engage in daily routines like supermarket shopping and gym workouts. On weekends, explore enjoyable activities such as mall shopping, hiking, or indulging in a massage. The key is to discover captivating alternatives to mindlessly swiping on our phones.
Conclusion
Try reducing distractions on your smartphone and find physical activities that you enjoy. These are 2 key goals that will help you overcome smartphone addiction. Don’t be too hard on yourself and don’t expect quick results. Take slow steps towards your goal and you will feel that you are spending less time behind the screen.
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