To lessen the amount of time and energy generously given to my mobile device, I’ve employed the following principles to my phone and treat them as standards for everyday usage. This installment acts as documentation to keep myself accountable and share the wealth that I feel I’ve inherited as a result of the following principles.
Remove all applications that don’t fit into the “necessity” category off of your device. Necessity can be determined by deciding if the application is making better use of your time, or robbing you of productivity.
Allow only 1 page of applications on your device. (This excludes the mandatory app library that iPhone users have built into their device.)
Delete and block all social/entertainment applications that could be used to scroll or spend your time on for more than 5 minutes. Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, and even apps like Substack qualify for this.
Be cautious of other apps becoming “go-to’s” for wasting time. Once traditional entertainment apps are removed, apps that weren’t appealing before suddenly become more valuable due to our brain wanting to see something.
Only include apps that are used every single day, or for important functions on the home screen. (Banking, notes, maps, phone, music)
Download the HabitKit app and use it to track daily exercise, reading, walks, or moments of quiet.
Create a custom Do Not Disturb setting and never take your phone off of it. Only allowing significant others, immediate family, and crucial work colleagues through the Do Not Disturb filter.
Disable all notifications from your home screen. (Emails can be accessed and read when you manually decide to go and look through your inbox, not when you’re told to because your favorite brand sent you a deal that you can’t refuse)
Remove any application that you haven’t used within 60 days from your phone. If you haven’t needed it recently, chances are it’s not truly serving you. (Apps like Airbnb, Uber, or an airline app are excluded for obvious reasons)
Add widgets from frequently accessed apps to your lock screen. This way, you don’t have to fully unlock your phone and be bombarded with options whenever you need to access things regularly like the calendar, clock, or maps.
Include your screen time onto the home page for heightened awareness of your addiction. Gamify your phone usage to make it easier and aim for less than 2 hours of usage each day.
Maintain a healthy relationship with social media by allowing yourself access to your favorite platform for 1 hour each week. I.E. – On Saturdays, Instagram can be used from 10 to 11AM. (This might require an accountability partner, blocking an app, or slowly weaning off of the selected platform before you can achieve the 1 hour/week rule.)
Pick up a new hobby to replace device usage.
When handling firearms, instructors frequently remind those in training that “every gun should be treated as if it’s loaded at all times.” Treat your phone with the same caution. Every time we pick up our device, we risk harming our focus, our attention span, and the moment we’re currently living in. Your phone is a machine that can destroy your time. Treat it like it’s loaded.
Become acquainted with the concept of missing out on knowing. If you’re curious about something, ask someone around you (even a stranger) if they know the answer. This encourages more human interaction, more reading, and less instant gratification that we can get by Googling any question we might have at any moment of the day.
Remind yourself to “simplify until it’s obvious.”
Tell your friends that you won’t be as reachable via text message. This will confuse some, and offend others, but in the long run, strengthen your relationships by placing much more value on face-to-face interactions. It will also likely lead to more planned get togethers as a result of less phone usage.
Save links to articles, funny videos, and miscellaneous content that your friends send you throughout the week to a notes page, and watch them during an allotted time on at the end of the week. (You won’t miss out on anything, and you’ll quickly realize that the links weren’t memorable even to the person who sent it to you.)
Leave your phone at home if you’re only going to be away for 15-30 minutes.
Put your phone to bed 1 hour before you go to sleep, and leave it in another room.