Did you know that over 65% of Americans check their phones 160 times a day? If that stat didn’t alarm you, how about this one: did you know that over 75% of Americans consider themselves as having a phone addiction? These stats paint a pretty clear picture of how we interact with our phones and how dependent we have become.
Phones aren’t the enemy. They keep us connected to our loved ones, accountable at school and work, and entertain us for hours on end (just to name a few of their many benefits). But when do we begin to recognize that we are overusing our phones? When do we start to see that we are disconnected from the real world and spending too much time scrolling through Instagram?
If you feel like you’re overly attached to your phone or can’t walk more than a few steps away from your phone without feeling anxious, you have a phone addiction. You may need to take a break? Here are a few ways you can fill your time without your phone.
Quality time
When you’re spending time with friends and family, put your phone down. Ask everybody to do the same and create a space that is phone-free. You’ll realize pretty quickly just how low quality your “quality time” was in the past. Without any distractions, you can more present in conversations and really enjoy your time with your loved ones. It’s okay not to add to your story or give live updates with what you’re doing. Your followers will survive if you take a little time away from the digital world.
Workout and sweat
Like to get your heart rate up and get a workout in? Take this time to unplug from all your social media outlets and really focus on your fitness journey. If you need your phone for music or workout videos, put your phone on Do Not Disturb. That way you, can access your tunes and workout clips, without needing to respond to anyone or getting distracted with app notifications.
Give yourself a curfew
When the evening rolls in and you’re getting ready for bed, put your phone to bed too. Try to carve out some time before you close your eyes to read or meditate. Over 65% of people sleep with their phones. Why not step outside of the norm and buy an alarm clock? There’s nothing better than getting a full night’s rest without being woken up to your phone buzzing from notifications at all hours of the night.
It’s not an easy transition to give up time with your phone. But many of us could use a break. Really think about all the times you use your phone and when you can try to break free. We don’t need to have it by our sides 24/7 … so take baby steps to find more time that helps kill that phone addiction.
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High schooler by day, crypto trader by night our resident high school entrepreneur, Connor Rundell, is ready to take the tech scene by storm. Besides being a badass skier and kitesurfer, Connor wants to shed some light on the startup scene. Connor splits his spare time between being an all-star la-cross player and a leader for up and coming young entrepreneurs as he trail-blazes as an intern for Brilliant Minds.