How to set the border with your smartphone

We were all there. It is the end of a long day, and you are exhausted. You leak on the sofa to scroll on your phone for a few minutes before you go to bed.

The problem is that the habit lasts longer than what is meant. The 10 -minute scroll turns on Instagram unexpectedly turns into two hours in an endless rabbit hole. You feel frustrated by yourself, knowing that the habit has cut your precious sleep, which will make the beginning of your day tomorrow more difficult.

If this behavior looks familiar, you know that you are not alone. According to a recent survey, the American average checks its phone 205 times a day, which is equivalent to almost once every five minutes while waking up. According to the same survey, more than 43 percent of Americans are addicted to their phones, and more than 80 percent examine their phones during the first ten minutes of waking up (1).

These disturbing numbers are evidence that we are mercifully spent an excessive time on our smartphones without looking at their impact on our health. Evidence indicates that the surplus Screen time It is associated with a set of mental and physical health problems. Mental health difficulties include exacerbation in depressionand anxietyAnd luxury in general. The physical risks include eye stress, neck, shoulder and back pain (2). Moreover, the excess screen time is linked to sleep disturbances and even increases the risk of premature eyes Difference In the late puberty (3, 4).

The harmful effects of the use of the smartphone have become clear to me on a previous family vacation. Be an early bird, I woke up in front of my family to go to the light hallway on the beach. The scene and sounds of waves that gently hit the beach, along with the breeze of the salty ocean that supports my face, is made for a quiet experience. I was in my happy place until I took out my instinctive phone to check the time. My calm condition was replaced with a clear tension, as I discussed whether I would read the notifications and text messages that were competing with attention. In the end, I decided to wait until the end of running. Shortly, this experience has made it clear to me how our phones can negatively affect our mood and anxiety, even in the most quiet places.

It does not mean indicating the harmful effects of using the extra screen that you need to completely get rid of your smartphone and return to the Stone Age. After all, your phone serves important jobs, including access to information and easy communication. Instead, I want you to be in good health border With your smartphone to reduce its negative effects on your health.

If you feel that the use of your smartphone was excessive and it came at a cost, then do not despair. Studies have shown that interventions to reduce the use of digital screen improves mood and general well -being (5).

6 tips for setting healthy boundaries with your smartphone

1. Do not keep it on you.

We often get to our phones from the habit. Skating your phone is not an appropriate intervention. If your phone is physical to you, you will be seduced to reach it, even if it is in a silent situation.

The best bet for you to reduce the amount of time you spend on your phone is to leave it in a different room. This eliminates the visual and material signal that urges you to reach it. As a personal example, leave my phone in the mud after going to the house from working. This behavior creates an essential financial limit between me and my phone that helps me to be more present with their loved ones.

2. Watch your use.

Providing progress is difficult if you do not have a monitoring data. Whether it is writing a paper, saving enough money RetirementOr seeking to achieve health, then tracking data will help you achieve your personality Goals.

Take a moment to check the time you spend on your smartphone. Possibilities do you spend more time than you realize. Despite the sober, this data can serve as a strong incentive to change your behavior.

3. Determination of time limits.

Determination of time limits can be a useful tool to reduce the amount of time you spend on your phone. For example, you can consider setting two time holes for 15 minutes a day to verify Social media With warnings to inform you when the time opening is elapsed. You can set notifications on some social media applications when you reach this limit.

4. Practice Mind.

We often engage in behaviors to change our emotional state. You may reach your phone when you feel overwroughtOr tired or normal boring. The next time you are about to access your phone, press a pause. Take a moment to monitor what you feel and ask yourself if there are more healthy alternatives to deal.

Going on a picnic, calling a friend, or developing your thoughts and feelings can improve your emotional state without luggage that comes with excessive screen time.

5. Make your phone less attractive.

One of the reasons for our smartphones is that bright colors on the screen visually attractive. Converting your phone to a gray mode can make the time on your phone a less desirable experience, which will help you set the border with it. I have already switched and I can bear witness that looking at the gray screen is not an attractive experience.

6. Think about their loved ones.

Our smartphones facilitate communication with people all over the world, but it often takes us away from loved ones who live under the same ceiling. It is impossible to be on your smartphone and be present at the same time with your loved ones.

Watching my children grows is a blatant reminder that my time with them is limited. It may seem cliché, but the days are long and the years are short. I don’t want to waste the precious time and the energy that is glued to the screen.