Smartphones are an evermore powerful – life-changing, even – piece of technology…but simultaneously, they can easily become the biggest drain on our time, focus, and energy.
Bored for half a second? Pull out your phone.
Procrastinating or generally avoiding something? Pull out your phone.
Uncomfortable at the bar by yourself for 30 seconds as friends go to the bathroom or turn their attention away from you (much less, actually – gasp – going out by yourself), pull out your phone. Next time you’re out at night, watch people do this like it’s their security blanket. We’ve all been guilty, but it’s entertaining to watch all that (in large part) insecurity running wild.
I could go on, but I really don’t need to. You’ve seen in others and yourself what an addiction that screen is. Yes, I know, I’ve seen that meme showing how people used to have their heads burried in newspapers before smartphones, but this is not the same beast at all. We are so quick these days to look for constant instant gratification, and, even more than that, to avoid feeling uncomfortable (tension) that these amazing pieces of tech in our hands have become giant security blankets, distractions, and productivity-killers.
I think we’ve all read, experienced, and thought about their various impacts on actual, IRL human interactions and relationships.
And – sexual harassment issues notwithstanding – I think about this Louis C.K. bit a lot:
So I want to share a few tricks I’m using to help me snap the hell out of it, get more present with myself and those around me, and put the damn screen away.
- Alarm Clock Reminders
This is actually something that kills multiple birds with one stone. I have an hourly alarm on my phone that says “Which side of the Slight Edge?”It’s an idea taken from Jeff Olson’s The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness and, in short, is about the fact that we are constantly, every hour and even every minute of every day, collecting compounding interest on the Slight Edge curve towards success or failure through our small, mundane, decisions in every area.So this helps me check in with myself in many areas, whether it’s being on my phone when I’m surrounded by friends, procrastinating on work (usually while on my phone), not facing my insecurities as much as I could be when I’ve set aside time to continually deepen the work on my social confidence, and the list goes on.I just set an alarm for every hour of every day (I go from 11 AM to 11 PM, personally) and change the label tab (on iOS…I’m sure there’s something similar on Android) from “Alarm” to “Which side of the Slight Edge?” You can also make it a vibration-only alarm by selecting “none” on the sound option.
Is it annoying sometimes? Yes. But is it worth it? Yes. And when it annoys me, I try to check in there, too, and ask myself why this important reminder is annoying me. 😉
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2. Scrambling your Facebook password
Facebook is a big one for me, so I set a really random, number/letter combo password for it, save it in a password storage app that I also have to log in to, and obviously I don’t save my password in the app…and log out of the app every time.
I have to admit, I got lazy on this one a while back, accidentally saved the password in the app, and left it like that for a while. And I’m seeing the effects, so I just unsaved it again. Because having to go into a password app, copy the password, and then go over to Facebook and paste the password in really does create enough space to slow me down and consider whether I actually want to spend my time on the app right now.
I use “Keeper”but there are lots of password apps out there.
3-Making your screen Grayscale
This is a brand new one for me, and it’s actually what inspired this post. It’s straight from a facebook post I saw last week from a friend in the personal development space, Jeffrey Platts. It’s another one for for iOS, but I have to think you droid users should be able to figure it out in your own settings, too.
I still need to get better about turning it back on after I temporarily turn it off, but it really does take the “oooh shiny, pretty colors” element away from mindless scrolling and flipping through my phone to avoid being present with myself.
4-App Time Limits
This one has been only mildly effective for me because it’s too easy to dismiss, like another one of a thousand daily notifications, but it has helped a little, especially on YouTube. You just set time limits on apps or in your phone’s settings and get the alert when you when you’ve hit that limit. The more present you get with yourself and the more you take a moment to breathe, take it in, and consider whether you still want to be on your phone, the more effective the limits are.
How-tos on time limits:
How to Make Your Phone Limit Your Screen Time for You
iOS 12: Set Screen Time Limits for Specific Apps
Try these out, see what helps, and most of all, remember to take a moment with all of them, feel your body, and generally check in with yourself.
