7 Strategies to Decrease Your Screen Time (that actually work)
Frustrated with how much time you spend swiping, tapping, and scrolling?
You aren’t alone. A recent survey found that 65% of Americans check their phones 160 times per day. That’s on average, every 6 minutes.
Why is this a problem? Technology steals our attention. Phone use can affect your sleep, relationships, and mental health.
As a medical provider and health coach, I find many clients concerned about their screen use. But most of us, understandably, aren’t willing or able to get rid of them completely. That means we need to figure out how to use them less. How? By building better boundaries with our screens.
Here are some practical ways to do that.
1. Mute Your Notifications
Pings. Dings. Buzzes. These are all specifically designed to get you to stop what you’re doing and check your device.
Not all notifications are bad, but most of us are getting distracted for trivial reasons.
So ask yourself:
- What notifications am I getting?
- What notifications do I need?
Are email or messaging apps something you need to check immediately? Or can you check them periodically throughout the day? Are there specific Slack channels you can mute? Can you set-up out of office times with an away message to call if there’s an emergency?
Look at your devices and think, what is worth getting distracted over? Mute all the rest.
2. Set App Limits
Using your phone to communicate with your team, check in with your family, or watching heartwarming animal videos isn’t the problem. The problem is when we get sucked in — spending 2+ hours scrolling or swiping without realizing.
Our phones keep our attention. Features like the endless scroll and autoplay are designed to keep us glued to our screens. It’s easy to sit down to check something and look up from your phone an hour later.
How to stop the mindless scroll? Bring awareness to how much time you spend on your phone.
One of my favorite ways to do this is through parental controls (Android and Apple phones have this feature). You can set limits on specific apps or web pages. When you have exceeded the day’s allotted time, you receive a notification.
This feature doesn’t stop you from accessing your phone, especially if you know the password, but it creates a well-needed pause.
Want to create some limits on your phone use? Figure out which app or webpage is most distracting, and set a limit.
3. Phone Bedtimes
For many of us, using our phone or device at night affects our sleep. The blue light decreases our melatonin levels (our sleep drive), making it hard to fall asleep. And the distraction of one more article to read, video to watch, or person to swipe on can prevent our mind from unwinding enough to feel tired.
Why does this matter? Well, sleep is great. Sleep helps your brain function, immunity, mood, focus, and overall longevity.
Many of us use alarms to wake up, but we can do the same thing to cue us to unwind. Want to try this? Set a nighttime alarm. When it goes off, unplug. I’m a fan of putting my devices out of sight, in a drawer, or in a different room and using roommates, partners, or kids as accountability.
Feel like you can’t unplug completely? Try parental controls or your phone’s sleep mode. These features let you disable certain apps (emails, social media, youtube) while still using others (meditation apps, phone, or text features).
Ideally, spend the hour before your bedtime without a screen. It gives your body and brain time to unwind, so you’re set up for a good night of sleep.
4. Use a timer to focus
Research shows the average computer worker checks email or a messaging service, on average, every six minutes. How does anybody get anything done?
If you’re like me, there are tasks that will take ten minutes to complete but distractions keep you from completing them for hours or even days.
The Pomodoro technique is simple. Work, without distractions, for 25-minutes and then take a 5-minute break. And repeat as needed. You can download an app (this one, or this one, there are lots) or use a kitchen timer.
How long you work for isn’t as important as the concept — short bouts of focused work followed by a break.
For most of us, going offline for hours isn’t feasible, which is why I love this technique.
If you have a laundry list of short tasks or something that needs your undivided attention, put away your phone, mute your notifications, and focus. You will be amazed at how much you get done in a few short sessions.
5. Delete Apps from your phone
I used to think I needed better willpower not to check my phone. But relying on willpower doesn’t work. It’s easier to remove the temptation.
Option one is deleting an app altogether. This may be social media or a news app. You can permit yourself to check it from your computer, but remove the temptation from your phone.
Option two is temporarily deleting an app. This could look like removing work email on the weekends and re-downloading it on Monday morning. Or downloading Instagram or Twitter to use it, and then delete it when you’re done.
Feel like you are addicted to checking something? Remove the temptation.
6. Block Webpages
Maybe your phone isn’t the problem; it’s a web page on your computer. Using the same concept as above, remove the temptation.
You can use technology to help. Install extensions or apps that block certain pages completely. I’ve also had clients who create long passwords, write them down, and log out each time they exit a webpage. What this does is creates a natural barrier. You can log in, but it takes 20–30 seconds. That pause is often enough to stop the mindless checking.
7. Carve out non-phone times
We all need time away from screens. Screen-free time helps us connect with those around us, relax, and gives us time to think.
Find a time during your day or week when you can be unplugged.
Maybe that’s time in the morning to journal, meditate, or go for a walk without checking a screen. It could be a mid-day siesta where you relax without a device if your work schedule allows. Or create boundaries around mealtime, making it a screen-free space.
Cal Newport recommends a digital sabbath, a day without a device. If that feels too extreme, what about a tech-free Sunday morning?
When and how long doesn’t matter. Just carve out some time to unplug.
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility
Technology is great. It lets us stay connected, so we can learn and work during the pandemic. But like most things, moderation is key.
If you’ve struggled with screen time and boundaries since the pandemic started, you aren’t alone. But you can take back control over your attention and your time.
How do you limit screen time? Drop a comment below.
