How to spent less time on my phone?

In the morning, the first thing I check is the time on my phone and to turn off its alarm. That's it. After that, I start and complete my routines for the day. I don't use the grayscale feature but I have a black screen with the time and any notifications that appear in white. I usually leave my phone on vibrate so I don't have to hear any bell; if I don't want sound, I turn off both. As an extra measure, I will place the phone elsewhere to devote my focus elsewhere; out of sight and out of mind.

Setting a time without distracting screens or technologies has worked for me, but when you're focused on your priorities, the time goes by fast but you feel so fulfilled. Once you do come back to your phone, the reward of getting to use it again gives you this contact rush, but after a while, that feeling will subside. I also use the Google Chrome BlockSite extension for both desktop and mobile. It gives you a 25 minute Work Mode as you choose the specific sites to block.

Exchanging this digital habit for analog habits has been very helpful for my self-development. Rather than talk to a friend over the phone, I will meet them in-person, for example. Some ways you can have the best of both worlds is if you turn on Airplane Mode for work that does not require an information crawl or haul. When I read books for my book reviews, I'm given e-books more often than physical review copies.

So, I turn on BlockSite's Work Mode or Airplane Mode for work sessions at home, keep my phone on vibrate, soundless, or somewhere else entirely, and exchange or reward myself with an analog habit free from distraction.

 

There’s an app called Moment, that tracks your overall phone usage and you can set a limit to how long you want to be using it daily. It’s useful reminder. When I’m mindlessly skimming through my phone I’ll get a little notification that’ll tell me it’s been 10 minutes, then twenty, then eventually whatever your goal is it’ll tell you “Hey you’re over your goal for the day”.

Useful if you feel like reminders are good enough for you. I recommend it and it’s a free app.

 

What if you used Forest? You can’t use your phone without killing your tree and if you grow a tree your earn coins to plant trees in real life. But it only works 2h at a time.

 

Leave phone in the freezer overnight, until a block of ice forms around it. In the morning, wait patiently until the ice melts around it so that you can start using it.

Or just go for a loooooon walk, say 2-4 hours, in a park or in the forest and, on purpose, forget your phone at home.