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| Photo Credit: Warren/Unsplash |
How many times have you checked your phone today? Ten times? Twenty? Thirty? According to a survey by Reviews.org, the average American checks their phone 144 times a day and spends four hours and 25 minutes staring at its screen. Furthermore, 57% of participants in the survey consider themselves addicted to their phones.
These statistics are alarming, but they are not surprising considering that phones are designed to be enticing. Luckily, there are several strategies you can employ to reduce your phone’s grip on your attention.
1. REVIEW YOUR PHONE SCREEN TIME
The first step to cutting down phone use is understanding how much time you actually spend on it. Regularly review your weekly usage report to see where your time goes. For example, realizing how many minutes you spend on social media can be quite enlightening.
Lucas Ochoa, CEO and founder of Automat, an AI workflow automation startup, suggests using tools like Screen Time to set reasonable limits. Originally intended for parents to monitor their children’s phone use, it can be equally effective for adults. "You can use Screen Time to impose time limits on particularly distracting apps," says Ochoa. "For instance, I have a 15-minute limit set for Instagram, ensuring I don't exceed 15 minutes a day on the app, allowing me to enjoy it without excess."
2. TURN OFF NOTIFICATIONS
A significant step is to turn off notifications, says Steven Athwal, founder and managing director of The Big Phone Store in the UK. "Most notification settings can be managed from your app settings menu, though you might have to set each app’s notification permissions individually," he explains. "Now, the only app on my phone that I allow notifications from is WhatsApp, which I use for anything urgent."
Turning off sounds and banners is beneficial, but don’t overlook the little red counter icon that shows how many emails and texts you have, adds Fawaz Naser, CEO of Softlist.io, a productivity tech platform. "The color red often acts as an immediate attention grabber, useful for important notifications," he says. "However, a lot of notifications come from automated sources, not real people, pulling you back to your phone repeatedly for no critical reason."
Remove the number counter from non-essential apps while keeping it for those that require your attention.
3. EDIT YOUR HOME SCREEN
Many people use a favorite photo as their lock and home screen background. Mitchell Creasey, executive coach and principal at The President’s Coach, suggests opting for a black background instead. "I learned this from Kashmir Hill’s piece in The New York Times, and it really works," he says. "It makes your phone a lot less like a cereal aisle and a lot more like meat and potatoes. You’d be shocked at how uninteresting social media becomes when all the images look the same."
To change your wallpaper on an iPhone, go to Settings, select "Wallpaper," and then "Add New Wallpaper." Choose "Color" and then select black.
Athwal also recommends changing app icons to black and white using an app like Minimalist Phone. "It replaces the app icons with much more boring ones, making them less attention-grabbing," he says.
4. EDIT YOUR APP DISPLAY
If social media consumes too much of your time, consider deleting the apps from your phone, advises Naser. "Social media can be a major drain on productivity," he says. "Removing these apps from your phone is one of the most effective ways to cut down the time you spend on them. You can still access social media on your computer, but the goal is to make your usage more intentional."
Catherine Price, author of How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life, compares problem apps to detrimental habits. "If you’re trying to quit smoking, it’d be pretty dumb to carry a pack of cigarettes around in your pocket," she writes on her Substack. "The same is true for apps on our phones: If you know that Instagram is a problem for you, why is it on your home screen? Or, for that matter, on your phone at all?"
If deleting an app seems too drastic, Price recommends trying it out for a few hours or a day to see the impact.
5. BE INTENTIONAL
Utilize your phone’s "Do Not Disturb" mode during focused work or study sessions, says Emily Guerra, a productivity life coach. "You can customize this setting to allow calls from specific contacts or to only receive notifications from essential apps," she explains.
However, it's also important to have fun, says Ochoa, who suggests scheduling specific times for indulgent phone use. "Setting aside ‘cheat moments’ can be really effective for sustained success," he says. "These are the times when you can do whatever you want on your phone, like scrolling through social media, constantly refreshing your newsfeed, or sharing memes. Planning these ‘cheat’ moments has been really effective for me."
6. GAMIFY NOT USING YOUR PHONE
Many apps hook users by gamifying their use with badges or rewards. Ochoa, who previously worked at Google’s Creative Lab, recommends using Forest, an app that makes not using your phone more engaging by gamifying it. "With Forest, you decide on a specific duration to stay off your phone," he explains. "Succeed, and you’ll see a tree grow in your virtual ‘forest,’ adding a fun element to the challenge. Using such blockers is an easy way to maintain focus, as it takes the reliance off your willpower and lets the technology do the work."
7. CONSIDER IT A HOME PHONE
Finally, think old school. If you remember a time before smartphones, you know that having a landline wired to a wall or counter and not within reach made it less appealing. Creasey suggests treating your cell phone as if it were a home phone. "Ask yourself, ‘Where might the home phone go if I had one?’" he suggests. "Put [your phone] there and leave it there until you need or want to use it. And when you’re done using it, put it back in its spot."
Creasey recommends picking a spot in your house that’s in a central area, such as the kitchen, but far enough out of the way that you’re not passing it every time you move through.
Price adds that adding friction to a behavior, such as removing your phone from easy access, is a good strategy. "I also recommend getting your phone out of your bedroom and putting something on your bedside table that you want to spend time on instead, like a book or a journal or a project," she writes.
Breaking free from phone addiction is undoubtedly challenging, but the benefits are substantial. By understanding your screen time, turning off notifications, simplifying your home screen, and being intentional about app usage, you can regain control over your phone habits. Additionally, employing strategies like gamifying your phone-free time and treating your mobile device as a home phone can create healthy boundaries. Imagine the possibilities with the time you reclaim each day—more focus, creativity, and meaningful interactions await. Taking these steps can lead to a more balanced and fulfilling life, proving that reducing screen time is well worth the effort.