Mobile addiction is a rabbit hole. Many people want to get out their mobile addiction but badly fail at it every single time. Mobile addiction is a behavioural addiction and it differs from people to people.
Kids get addicted to watching all the animated cartoons. Adults get addicted to playing games or online shopping. Some other people get addicted to social media. I was a phone addict too, but I gradually started realising that my mobile addition is going to take me nowhere!
In this digitalized world, a smartphone is an essential thing that stays with you 24X7. Here are the few hacks that I have used that might help you.
How to reduce phone usage?
Before concentrating on how to reduce the phone usage, we must analyse on what we are spending more time: Games, Shopping or Social media? Introverts tend to use mobile phone a lot to detach themselves from the physical world. Almost 50% of the students cannot even go up to 10 minutes without checking their phones.
It is important to figure out on which app we are spending more time and don’t think about uninstalling that app immediately as it isn’t going to help you reduce your mobile usage. That would make you carve for more, Trust me!!! I have been there done that.
App track to phone usage:
Track down the time you spend on each application, calculate how much time would you be spending on your mobile for a week, for a month, for a year. The result would disturb you, that could be your eye-opener.
In this competitive world where people prepare themselves for their dreams, they will not sit and spend their time on mobile phone.
So what to do?
Download an App to track time spent on phone, try to minimize the 1/3rd or 1/4th of the mobile time usage later you can see yourself trying to control your mobile time usage. IOS users have an inbuilt option to track the Iphone usage and for controlling the screen time of the applications.
Reduce your mobile usage for a cause:
Set a goal to reach. Get a planner, write down your daily or weekly tasks, decorated your room with tasks filled sticky notes with cute emojis. The goals are highly reachable when you write them down.
When you finish a task treat yourself with something good. Finished all your tasks for the day as planned? Treat yourself with some savouries. Self-appreciation is as important as your self-control.
Try 5-minute rule:
If you are a ruthless procrastinator, try this 5-minute rule. And the hardest step to accomplish this rule is to start following it :p , yes starting this 5-minute rule is harder and following it on daily basis maybe even harder but the results might amaze you.
Choose a task that you need to get it done by 5 minutes, 5 minutes is a small amount of time that you are going to spend, the time you spend on ordering a food would go beyond 5 minutes, so what’s the big deal. Try not to distract in that 5 minutes and finish your work, you will find self- control meaning when you do things without distractions even the external things try to lure you.
Engage yourself! World is more than the mobile:
Try to interact with your parents, roommates. If you are so introverted, try to take a walk around your street and listen to the birds chirping. Find your hobby, it could be anything that get your attention. Try out different things, challenge yourself, get out of your comfort zone.
There is an excessive use of mobile phones among students, try to read about different career choices. Do research try to sketch your future. Digital decluttering is all about self-control, a test for self. It is not a rocket science unless you are willing to make your day-to-day life more productive.
I love writing this blog as much you read it till here. Please let me know how your digital decluttering progressing! I am looking forward to reading all your experiences and stories. So what are you waiting for, please share and spread the word!!