An issue that regularly comes up in sessions for people is how their phone use is negatively affecting aspects of their lives.
Of course our smartphones can be a wonderful addition and extremely useful but they also have their shadow side. I believe it’s important that we’re aware of when they cross over from a benefit to something that is limiting our human experience.
After seeing this interesting article on screen time this week, I thought I’d write a quick post on the common issues I see (and have experienced myself ) along with some ideas on what to do to help and how to make that happen.
Perhaps you’ve noticed some of the following in relation to your own phone use?
Increased anxiety
Difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep.
An inability to disconnect from work and compulsively checking emails
An urge to checking your phone in the middle of the night.
Less ability to concentrate.
Procrastination
Spending less time with friends or family. Spending less time present with friends and family! (Not me!)
Compulsively checking the news (Definitely not me!!)
If some of these are affecting you more than you’d like, here are some ideas to help set some boundaries on your use and hopefully increase your mental well being too!
Set some goals - e.g. 2 hours per day on the phone, no screen time before you leave the house, etc
Make some phone free zones in your house. i.e. no phones in the bedroom,
Consciously leave your phone behind when you leave the house or change rooms.
Create a schedule for your phone use - e.g. Only in work hours and 1 hour in the evening
When meeting with people in real life, make a commitment to stay off your phone.
Silence or set you phone to do not disturb.
Set time limits on your go to apps
In order to make in of these new habits stick it helps to make sure you’re doing something important instead of using your phone. To do this, try to find an activity that feels like it’s taking you towards who you want to be. If you manage to find one, make sure to reflect and acknowledge what it feels like to do (and hopefully enjoy) something without the phone burning a hole in your brain.
Let me know how you get on!