Thread by @HM_PsychHealth

🚨 10 Tips To Beat Your Phone Addiction 🚫📱 🚨

**Mega Thread**

1. Don't use your phone in bed

 I know this is hard 

Before we go to bed, we like to check our phones and see what's happening on social media

Same thing for when we first wake up in the morning

Sometimes it's related to curiosity,

And we think- "I'm just going to check how my post did...
I'm just going to see if I have any new emails..
I'm just going to check my messages"

When in reality, using your phone before going to sleep, or right after you wake up,
is a really bad habit for your mental health

Screens (phones, laptops, tablets, tv) emit blue light,
This effects our body by restraining the production of melatonin (the hormone that controls sleep/wake cycle, REM sleep),
Reducing melatonin = It will be harder to fall & stay asleep

Screen time before bed = Poor sleep

For 1 week try out an experiment-

🔹30min- 1 hour before you go to sleep,
(2 hours before if possible)

Try a more calming and relaxing activity

Read a book
Meditate
Pray/ Read a Religious book
Do Laundry
Color/ Draw
Write
Journal
Listen to calm music or a Guided Meditation

Through trial and error, find an activity that you enjoy the most, use that list above as a guide,

And stick to it for 1 whole week

See if you notice a difference in your mindset and mental health

2. Get a real alarm clock

This will help you to minimize phone use

 I know it's very easy and convenient to just use your phone alarm,

But in order to practice not making your phone a part of your evening or morning routine,

You should use an alarm clock instead

Choose an alarm clock that you like,

maybe in your favorite color,

or get one of those nice alarm clocks that has a light feature to mimic the sun,
So you can wake up more naturally

(price ranges from $16-$130)

3. Make meals a phone-free zone

Allow yourself to fully enjoy your meal

If you're on your phone, texting, on Twitter, social media, or reading, then you're multitasking
And you're not fully paying attention to what you're eating

You spent the time & effort to make your meal ⬇️

So allow yourself to fully enjoy the flavors and experience

And if you're eating with other people,
it's not only rude to be on your phone,
but it also takes away an opportunity to connect and talk

Don't be them ⬇️

4.  Turn off notifications

This is a game changer

We are on our phones enough as is,

If your notifications are on, how are you expected to stay focused on the task you're doing
If you're being constantly bombarded by notifications

Each day go on social media for some periods of time and you'll be set

In all reality,
You don't need to be notified The Exact Second that someone replies or tags you in something,

It can wait

5.  Delete unnecessary apps

Don’t give yourself so many distractions

We’re in a constant state of over consumption, having way too many options on our hands,
Just makes it worse

The more apps that you have = the more tempting it will be to use your phone = more wasted time

6. Organize your phone layout to eliminate distractions

Your phone layout can play a big role on how productive and how distracted you are

On your first page keep the apps that are most important -
messages, calendar, maps, reminders, bank apps, money apps 🤑 ...etc

Put social media -
Twitter, Instagram, FB
Game Apps
Shopping Apps... etc

On the 2nd / 3rd page

You can even go a step further and keep them in folders = Less visible = Less likely to use them 👍

7.   Focus on the person you're with

- How many times have you noticed that while you're speaking to someone, they're using their phone? 

- Or maybe you're guilty of doing this yourself when someone else is speaking?

Not only is it rude, but you're not allowing yourself to fully listen to or connect with this person

The person that you're spending time with, deserves your undivided attention

Don't be this guy ⬇️

8. Put your phone on Airplane Mode/ Do Not Disturb

Having your phone's Sound On = More distractions

Eliminate distractions whenever possible

Check your phone
Most have special features in case of emergency, even if Do Not Disturb is on, favorited people can still call you

9.  Have a phone-free day once a week

Choose 1 day, every week

To limit your phone use and allow yourself to be fully present 

- Enjoy your dinner out with your friend

- Enjoy family time & play with your kids without distractions

- Read a book

- Enjoy a hobby

It's important to un-plug & live in the present

Scheduling in this "No Phone Time"
will help you cut back on phone time too

Put your phone in another room, so it's less accessible = less tempting

Once you're involved in an activity, you start to forget about your phone

10. Take small steps to cut back on phone usage

Take small attainable steps to help you reduce the time spent on your phone

If you are used to spending 5, 6 hours on your phone every day
And you want to drastically cut back to 1 hour a day, then it will be hard to maintain

The goal is to make changes that you can keep more long-term, not temporary changes that you will no longer follow

Set yourself up for success

Start with cutting back 30 min - 1 hour

Implement 1 or 2 steps at a time

*Make sure to reflect, notice differences & your progress*

Make changes as needed

If some strategies are working, keep at it

If you're struggling with something else, try to change something or tweak it in a way that's a better fit for you

You deserve to live life in the present & enjoy yourself, without feeling addicted to your phone

Thank you so much for reading!

This was my first, of many threads to come!

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