How can i stop checking my phone

Teens spent the bulk of their time on social media, he says. Three-quarters of his participants said they left their phones on ring or vibrate to see if any messages would come in. Rosen created lists of strategies for his student participants.

He offered them four categories of ways to make changes to their phones, or to use their phones in unique ways. The categories were communication, focus and attention, enhanced sleep, and enhanced well-being. The goal was to enhance their smartphone experience. To improve sleep, Rosen told his participants to set their phones on gray screen at night, which removes all colors. Lots of them used Night Shift to switch off blue light on their phones.

Then, I asked them to turn in a paper about their minutes usage and unlocks. Many sketched a lockout mechanism that would prevent them from using their phones for a specified period.

Participants, however, admitted that although they felt bad about their behavior, they were ambivalent about using their proposed solutions.

Instead, the team discovered that participants found meaning when apps connected them with the real world and enhanced their relationships with friends and family — meaningful experiences that transcended the moment of use. Most studies that examine smartphone addiction really examine social media addiction, he says. Turning off notifications is a good idea as a way to avoid constant reminders that someone, somewhere, has said something that may require our attention and remove it from the people who are in front of us.

This can also be a way to practice limiting use at other times, as you become more used to having your phone turned off or in another room. Here are some additional strategies that can work:. Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellMind. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data.

We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. They had the time all along; it was just getting sucked by a small, shiny screen. How much time? According to screen-time tracking app Moment, the average user of the app picks up his or her phone 52 times a day and spends 3 hours, 57 minutes using it.

And those are people who have chosen to track their screen time. Overcoming a smartphone addiction — and yes, many experts consider compulsively checking your phone a behavioral addiction , similar to gambling — has the potential to improve your relationships, sleep, physical fitness, and mental health.

Many apps are modeled after slot machines , which are arguably the most addictive machines ever created, Price says. Our brains have learned to associate checking our phones with the possibility of getting a reward. This is just one way designers are exploiting our brain chemistry to keep us on the apps longer. Get a little angry about this manipulation. Use it to quit. With all the time spent in the real world after learning how to put down your phone, you might even need a new hobby.

Guitar, perhaps? Relying on your willpower is a losing game, so get it out of sight and reach. Roberts, a marketing professor at Baylor University, suggests starting with putting your phone in the trunk or glove box while driving, since that will have an immediate effect on your safety.

Subscribe to the newspaper or magazines to read articles; music lovers can go full hipster and listen to music on vinyl instead of streaming apps. I have no Facebook app on my phone. Instead, I check the newsfeed in Safari. After visiting Facebook, I always try to close its tab in Safari, so I have some extra work next time.

I also try to stay away from my phone after posting anything on social media. For this reason, I rarely post things that involve a lengthy discussion. Notification badges are another source of distraction.

After coming home, I just leave the phone in my bag and put it in the cupboard. Nothing terrible ever happens. The same trick can help you at work, school, and family dinners.

Constantly checking your phone throughout the day ruins your productivity, while staring at the screen before bedtime can affect the quality of sleep. I try to ditch my phone at least a couple of hours before going to bed. It hurts when I break this rule. After my last spontaneous googling session at 12 AM, I was just lying in my bed for a couple of hours staying alert and unable to fall asleep. In the morning, I felt exhausted and unable to concentrate on anything.

For example, between 9 PM and 7 AM, your phone can ban you from most apps and allow only phone calls.