3 Ways To Build Better Boundaries With Your Phone
How to cut back the negative effects of screentime while creating a life you love
We have a technology addiction problem.
Anyone with any level of self-awareness and an internet connection probably knows this is the case.
We walk around glued to these little things in our hand, and are none the wiser to the beautiful world around us that we’re missing so much of.
While I in no way am suggesting you cold turkey quit or throw your phone in the nearest body of water, I do think that there are some practical steps we can all implement to give ourselves a little more space between ourselves and our technology:
#1: Leave it behind when you can
Sometime even just leaving it in your purse or a pocket of your backpack can have a tremendous impact on your ability to be present.
A big part of our addictive relationship with tech is that we have it “just in case.” We bring it around and have it in our hand or our back pocket because “we might need it.”
“Recharge yourself, not your phone.”
Find a few times where you can go without your phone. Maybe you’re going with a friend to the store, going on a walk and you have cellular on your watch to get help if need be.
Whenever you can, leave it behind, or at least a few feet away from you. You’ll start noticing other things without the innate distraction that your phone offers you.
#2: Disable certain features
Think about the features that you really need, and also the ones that distract you the most. Maybe you need to disable Safari, or your ability to download apps. Maybe you need to delete social media apps, and turn off notifications for certain things.
“After the first week or so I found myself participating actively in the idle moments of everyday life. I would text my friends and family more often, randomly think of people I hadn’t spoken to in quite a while, and reach out to them directly.” — Anthony Ongaro, Break The Twitch
Whatever it is, don’t feel bad turning your phone into the tool that it was meant to be. Make sure that it’s serving you, and not the other way around.
#3: Replace it with something else
Instead of scrolling on social media, print out a crossword puzzle or write morning pages in a journal. Meditate, go for a walk, have a dance party.
Do anything other than scrolling on your phone whenever you’re bored.
“Social media is a giant machine for getting you to spend your time caring about the wrong things.” — Oliver Burkeman, 4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
Getting up and opening our phone often serves as a keystone habit on which our whole morning rests.
Recently, I’ve taken several steps to prevent myself from using my phone as much, and one of the positive results of that choice has been that I’m reading more and spending more quality time writing.
This morning, I woke up and wondered why exactly that is the case.
After a few moments of pondering, I realized that it’s because I replaced social media, checking texts, and looking for something to do on my phone with reading and writing, which do offer similar fulfillment once I get around to them.
By cutting out the middle man and replacing my phone with something else, I’ve much more consistently been writing and reading books because of the time that’s opened up, as well as the habit that I’ve modified to support my goals.
I don’t think technology is evil. Nor do I think it’s a bad thing to have. But it’s certainly something that we have to reconsider our relationship with. We’ve let our usage go unchecked for far too long, and I think it’s now time to claim so much of our autonomy and time back.
While much more can be done in your life, I hope that these three steps have offered a quick-start guide to rethinking your relationship with your technology.
Best of luck!
