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Research reveals average cell phone use is up to three hours and 21 minutes a day, so most of us could benefit from putting our phones down more. That’s easier said than done, but some hacks can help build this healthier habit.
- Measure your addiction - It’s tough to cut down on screen time if you don’t know how much you’re getting. Your smartphone makes it easy to find, somewhere in the settings you should be able to see the average screentime and a breakdown of your most-used apps.
- Set some limits - Decide how much time you’re okay with spending on specific apps and you may be able to set time limits on them in your phone. Of course, it’s really easy to add more time with a few taps, but if you want to hold yourself accountable, you can.
- Consider switching to silent mode - That way you’re not constantly distracted by the pings of endless messages and notifications, but it does make your phone harder to find when you misplace it and can’t call to find it.
- Buy a non-smart watch - This will keep you from checking the time on your phone and getting sucked in, which happens to the best of us. While you’re at it, you may want to buy an alarm clock so you don’t rely on your phone’s alarm to wake up and end up scrolling before you’re even out of bed.
- Make it black and white - Sure, it’s drastic, but it’s also effective. Taking those bright colors from your screen makes it less attractive and inviting, so you’re less likely to mindlessly scroll. Google your specific phone to find out how to swap the rainbow for greyscale.
- Leave it somewhere else - Simply seeing your phone makes you want to pick it up, so try leaving it in another room or at home when you go out to dinner, and then try not to panic.
- Make it boring - There are all kinds of “minimalist launchers” designed to make your phone’s interface more boring. They swap enticing icons for a joyless list of names, which hopefully makes them less tempting, too.
Source: The Independent
Photo: Getty Images