Our society is increasingly more dependent on technology. Although we can’t control the overall need for technology, we can certainly take command on how we choose to use technology and control our screen time exposure throughout the day. In 2020 there are many people looking for ways to decrease screen time and we are here to help you out.
This post includes some practical tips you can use to decrease screen time (if you need some tips on getting more active, drinking more water, eating healthy, or improving sleep quality, we’ve got you covered).
Set Daily Usage times for specific apps
If you are a mindless scroller, setting a daily usage limit may help you truly realize how much time you spend throughout the day scrolling through social media and other apps. Checking your daily screen time on your phone will give you a visual representation of how many times you pick up your phone, what apps you use most and how much time you spend on those apps. Once you know how much time you spend on average on those apps, you can also set a daily time limit for those apps. When you reach that limit, your phone will disable access to that app until the next day. P.S. If you reach that daily limit but still really need to use that app, you can override that limit and access that app.
Here are the steps to do this on an Apple iPhone or iPad
Settings → Screen Time → Set App Limit
**You can choose which apps you’d like to set a limit for and set individual time limits.
Turn Off App Notifications
App notifications are distracting and they tempt you to pick up your phone each time it buzzes. For non-essential apps, disable those notifications. Although it is hard for some of us to disconnect from work when the workday ends, turning off work and personal email notifications during the evenings and on the weekends can help to give your mind and eyes a rest.
Don’t Charge Devices in your Bedroom
It may not be reasonable to ban all devices from your bedroom, but removing the chargers from the room can help reduce device usage while you are lying in bed or winding down for the night. If you use your phone as an alarm clock, use a digital alarm clock instead or make sure that your phone has enough charge before going to bed.
Eat Uninterrupted
It is so easy to turn on the TV while eating dinner, scroll through your phone while snacking or finish up those work tasks while eating lunch at your desk. However, refrain from using technology when eating meals or snacks. It will give your eyes a break and allow you to focus on enjoying your food. Use meal times to have some human interaction or simply as a quiet moment with no chaos or distractions.
Our phones, tablets, computers and other devices are a part of our daily routines. Cutting them out completely is not realistic for most people but using these tips can help reduce the amount of time you are spending behind the screen.
Equip | Encourage | Empower 