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Self-help Tips for Smartphone Addiction
There are a number of steps you can take to get your smartphone use under control. While you can initiate many of these measures yourself, an addiction is hard to beat on your own, especially when temptation is always within easy reach. It can be all too easy to slip back into old patterns of usage. Look for outside support, whether it's from family, friends or a professional therapist.
To help you identify your problem areas, keep a log of when and how much you use your smartphone for non-work or nonessential activities. There are specific apps that can help with this, enabling you to track the time you spend on your phone. One example is https://www.rescuetime.com (the "lite" version is free). Are there times of day that you use your phone more? Are there other things you could be doing instead? The more you understand your smartphone use, the easier it will be to curb your habits and regain control of your time.
Recognize the triggers that make you reach for your phone. Is it when you're lonely or bored? If you are struggling with depression, stress or anxiety, for example, your excessive smartphone use might be a way to self-soothe rocky moods. Instead, find healthier and more effective ways of managing your moods, such as practicing relaxation techniques.
Understand the difference between interacting in person and online. Human beings are social creatures not meant to be isolated or to rely on technology for human interaction. The inner ear, face and heart are wired together in the brain, so socially interacting with another person face-to-face — making eye contact, responding to body language, listening, talking — can make you feel calm, safe and understood, and quickly put the brakes on stress. Interacting through text, email or messaging may feel important, but it bypasses these nonverbal cues so can never have the same effect on your emotional well-being. Besides, online friends can't hug you when a crisis hits, visit you when you're sick or celebrate a happy occasion with you.
Strengthen your support network. Set aside dedicated time each week for friends and family. If you are shy, there are ways to overcome social awkwardness and make lasting friends without relying on social media or the internet. To find people with similar interests, try reaching out to colleagues at work, joining a sports team or book club, enrolling in an education class or volunteering for a good cause. You'll be able to interact with others like you, let relationships develop naturally, and form friendships that will enhance your life and strengthen your health.
Build your coping skills. Perhaps tweeting, texting or blogging is your way of coping with stress or angry feelings. Maybe you have trouble relating to others, or are excessively shy with people in real life and find it easier to communicate with people online. Building skills in these areas will help you weather the stresses and strains of daily life without relying on your smartphone.
Recognize any underlying problems that may support your compulsive behavior. Have you had problems with alcohol or drugs in the past? Does anything about your smartphone use remind you of how you used to drink or use drugs to numb or distract yourself? Recognize if you need to address treatment in these areas or return to group support meetings.
Modify your smartphone use, step by step.
For most people, getting control over their smartphone use isn't a case of quitting cold turkey. Think of it more like going on a diet. Just as you still need to eat, you probably still need to use your phone for work, school or to stay in touch with friends. Your goal should be to cut back to more healthy levels of use:
- Set goals for when you can use your smartphone. For example, you might schedule use for certain times of day, or you could reward yourself with a certain amount of time on your phone once you've completed a homework assignment or finished a chore, for instance.
- Turn off your phone at certain times of the day, such as when you're driving, in a meeting, at the gym, having dinner or playing with your kids.
- Don't bring your phone or tablet to bed. The blue light emitted by the screens can disrupt your sleep if used within two hours of bedtime. Turn devices off and leave them in another room overnight to charge. Instead of reading eBooks on your phone or tablet at night, pick up a book. You'll not only sleep better, but research shows you'll also remember more of what you've read.
- Replace your smartphone use with healthier activities. If you are bored and lonely, resisting the urge to use your smartphone to play games or check social media can be very difficult. Have a plan for other ways to fill the time, such as meditating, reading a book or chatting with friends face to face.
- Spending time with other smartphone addicts? Play the "phone stack" game. When you're having lunch, dinner or drinks together, have everyone place their smartphones face down on the table. Even as the phones buzz and beep, no one is allowed to grab his or her device. If someone can't resist checking their phone, that person has to pick up the check for everyone.
- Remove social media apps from your phone so you can only check Facebook, Twitter and the like from your computer. What you see of others on social media is rarely an accurate reflection of their lives — people exaggerate the positive aspects of their lives, brushing over the doubts and disappointments that everyone experiences. Spending less time comparing yourself unfavorably to these stylized representations can help to boost your mood and sense of self-worth.
- Limit checks. If you compulsively check your phone every few minutes, wean yourself off by limiting your checks to once every 15 minutes. Then once every 30 minutes, then once an hour. If you need help, there are apps that can automatically limit when you're able to access your phone (see the "Tools" section below).
- Curb your fear of missing out. Accept that by limiting your smartphone use, you're likely going to miss out on certain invitations, breaking news or new gossip. There is so much information available on the internet, it's almost impossible to stay on top of everything, anyway. Accepting this can be liberating and help break your reliance on technology.
Tools for Monitoring and Limiting Smartphone Use
SelfControl lets you block specific websites for up to 24 hours. Beware: It prevents you from cheating or changing your mind once you've started! The blocked sites remain off-limits until the time is up, even if you delete the app or restart your devices.
http://selfcontrolapp.com
Freedom prevents users from connecting to the internet entirely.
https://freedom.to
Freeedrive prevents drivers from using their phones while behind the wheel.
www.freeedrive.com
For other ideas, search for "No text while driving" apps.
Reference:
Smith, M., Robinson, L. & Segal, J. (Updated 2017, April). Smartphone addiction: Tips for breaking free of compulsive smartphone use. Retrieved 23 May 2017 from HelpGuide: https://www.helpguide.org