How To Break Up With Your Phone - Forbes

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It's time for some hard truths, my friend. Long gone are the days of being single, and by single I mean free from the captivating and controlling relationship you have with your phone. I know it feels like ages ago, but do you remember the days when you only had a house phone and you'd leave the house without it? Do you remember the freedom you felt roaming the world untethered, uninterrupted and unburdened by this convenient but pesky little friend of yours?

With the advancements of smartphone technology, it may seem like we are being more productive, more social and more organized, but for most people, that simply isn't the case. In the old days, people would leave work calls and emails at the office and be done with the workday. Today, people are taking work with them everywhere and all the time. In order to be successful, many of us believe that we must always be available, but what’s the trade-off?

Just look around you. How many times have you walked into a restaurant to see a table full of people scrolling through their phones? People walking down the street looking at their phones? Parents at the park looking at their phones? People standing in line staring at their phones? Even grandma is on her phone.

Perhaps it's time to break up with your phone. Hear me out. You can still have a relationship with your phone, but you call the shots, and you are in control of the relationship. Here’s how:

1. Schedule phone-free periods of time.

Bonus points if you can go completely technology-free during this time. Start your day by not picking up your phone when you wake up. Leave your phone alone for as long as possible. Spend at least the first hour of your day investing in your future. Focus on your goals, vision board, gratitude list, journaling, passion projects, reading, working out, praying — anything that makes you feel good and sets you up with a good attitude for the rest of the day. Do not start your day with the news, or anything negative, for that matter.

2. Practice eating mindfully.

Make it a point to eat without your phone. Your phone is officially uninvited to the table. I know this might be hard if you've made it a habit to watch YouTube videos during your lunch break, but it's unhealthy to mindlessly eat your food. Bad habits can be fixed. Harvard Health published a letter about the mind-gut connection and how distractions (such as watching TV or reading) can lead your brain to miss the satiety cue, which leads to overeating. When you pay attention to the food you are eating — the smell, colors and taste — your stomach and brain will communicate properly, resulting in more efficient digestion.

3. Leave your phone in the car.

When you go on a hike or take your kids to the park, do yourself a favor and leave your phone in the car. Lock it up in the glovebox and go. You will have the opportunity to be fully present in the time spent with yourself and your loved ones. You'll have the opportunity to see the world around you. Go down the slide. Swing on the swings. Lay on the grass and watch the clouds float by. I promise you, any undistracted time spent in nature or with your loved ones will feed your soul.

4. Limit social media use.

Most smartphones now come with usage controls that allow you to set time limits on specific apps. Statistics show that people across the globe are averaging two to four hours a day in social media use. If you tend to fall down the social media rabbit hole, set a limit for thirty minutes for each app, totaling no more than one or two hours a day.

Think of how much more time you'd have to pursue your lifelong dreams with an extra two hours a day. That's 14 hours a week, practically a part-time job. If you have time for social media, you have time to create the life of your dreams. Don't squander it.

5. Turn off notifications.

Psychologists say we are addicted to our phones because we get caught in a dopamine loop. Yes, every time your phone calls your attention with an alert, your dopamine (pleasure-seeking hormone) levels rise and create a physiological reaction that motivates you to pick up your phone.

Curiosity kills the cat, and notifications kill the present moment. So, do yourself a favor and simply turn off your notifications for anything that does not require your immediate attention. You can break the addiction cycle, or at the very least lessen its powerful grip. Discipline yourself to use your computer to check emails and social media. That will allow you more time away from your phone.

Once you've escaped the tech fog, you'll be glad you broke up with your phone.

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"phone" - Google News
December 26, 2019 at 06:30PM
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How To Break Up With Your Phone - Forbes
"phone" - Google News
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