Reba Riley, TransforMotion Life Coaching: I am helping my client Dani tackle her compulsive phone use, and we are sharing the journey week-by-week in a series of articles dedicated to positive change. This post is Dani’s account of finding physical to-do tasks that help her put down her phone and pick up her life.
Dani DiPirro, PositivelyPresent.com:
It’s gotten to the point that I feel out of control when it comes to my phone usage.
Before asking Reba for help, I researched ways to combat this problem from a physical standpoint. This is what I found:
- Disable notifications. This seems to the number one recommended tip when it comes to phone addiction, but I’m not certain it’s the best. I’ve always had my notifications disabled and it clearly hasn’t stopped me from having a problem (though perhaps it’s different if you have notifications and turn them off). Personally, I wonder if this doesn’t encourage me to check my phone more often, since I’m not notified of when I get something, and I instead have to check every app just to make sure I haven’t missed anything. If you don’t have your notifications off, this might be a good place to start though. Just pay attention to make sure it’s not making things worse.
- Consider black-and-white mode. Another tip I’ve seen mentioned frequently is turning your phone to black-and-white mode because the bright colors are what entice us to look at the phone and click apps. However, I’ve never tried this because, to be honest, I need to see what my illustrations look like on Instagram. (I could, and probably should, give this tip a try though because I can turn it on and off and, as someone who loves color, it could actually help me.) It’s worth a try, especially if you’re not running a business that involves lots of colors!
- Delete the apps you aimlessly scroll most often. Apps are designed to keep you hooked and coming back for more. As Catherine Price, author of How To Break Up With Your Phone, has written, “Instagram has created code that deliberately holds back on showing users new ‘likes’ so that it can deliver a bunch of them in a sudden rush at the most effective moment possible — meaning the moment at which seeing new likes will discourage you from closing the app.” If you’re dealing with overall technology addiction–meaning that if you delete it on your phone you’ll just go scroll on your laptop– this might not be an effective strategy, but I’ve found that I do much less obsessive scrolling on my computer (and even on my iPad) than I do on my phone. Consider replacing the endless scrolling apps — Twitter, Instagram, etc. — with ones that will actually be productive, like Kindle or another book-reading app. (Admittedly, I’ve deleted Twitter probably a dozen times and then reinstalled it because I “have to know what the latest news is!” so don’t be discouraged if this tip doesn’t work for you.)
- Track your phone time. There are lots of apps, like Moment and Forest, designed to help you keep track of how often you use your phone. I’ve used them before and been astounded by how much time I spend on my phone, but, despite the shocking numbers, I didn’t end up changing my behavior. The knowledge of how much you use your phone might be a put-the-phone-down prompt for some, but I think if you’re really addicted, an app telling you that you’re on your phone all the time isn’t going to fix you.
- Put your phone in another room. This is another tip I see frequently, and it’s definitely helped me (when I actually have the strength to do it…) Whenever I can’t physically see my phone, I tend to use it less often. If your phone must be in the room with you, I recommend put it on the other side of the room or somewhere you can’t see it. I’ve tried putting it under a blanket, and, silly as that sounds, it does seem to help a bit. Out of sight, out of mind is an old saying, but there’s definitely some truth in it!
- Get a real alarm clock. I’ve read that the worst time to use your phone is right when you wake up and right before you fall asleep, which are my two favorite times to use it! I always make the excuse of “needing” my phone in my bedroom because it’s my alarm, but did you know you can buy a thing that’s just a clock? Haha! It’s hard for me to remember the days of the good ol’ alarm clock, but I’m going to invest in one so that I can keep my phone out of the room. It’s great that our phones can do everything, but that doesn’t mean they have to do everything.
- Consider a lock box. After seeing a fellow Instagrammer using a lock box with a timer to keep herself from her phone, I’ve been seriously considering getting one. It seems extreme, but I can only imagine what kind of work I could get done if my phone were taken from me for a few hours every day! (If you’ve tried this for your phone or snacks or anything, let me know if you had any luck with it. I’m very curious!)
- Switch positions. If you must be on your phone, one of the best ways to combat potential physical ailments is to switch positions often and do exercises that will help you avoid a repetitive stress injury. As someone suffering from one now, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to do whatever you can to avoid injury, particularly if you’re not getting your addiction addressed (because you’ll keep using your phone and continue to make it worse). If you have pain when looking at your phone, go to the doctor and get a professional evaluation to avoid causing more damage.
Reba Riley, TransforMotion Life Coaching: The first step to change is recognizing you have a problem! We will use these tips, and others, as we tackle her phone addiction in the weeks ahead. As Dani illustrates the “apps” we really need in our lives do not fit on a screen:
Take what you need to put down your phone and pick up your life!