If you’re anything like me, then you set a timer for your social media applications, and then get irritated when that notification pops up. Then you click on ‘remind me in 15 minutes’ and by the time you look up, an hour has passed.
And if it’s not Reddit and Discord taking up all my time, then my beloved Netflix is making sure I never put down my phone.
So, believe me when I say I also need to learn how to manage the time I have and what portion of that I surrender to entertainment. It’s not simple to say uninstall the applications because chile, been there and done that.
Also, some people work mainly online (cough cough), so our screentime percentage is bound to be in the upper limits.
Let’s rather look at other ways we can intentionally use our downtime to refocus that energy on more important things like our schoolwork, tasks, household chores, and engaging face-to-face. This post is also for those who procrastinate and binge Netflix all day instead of doing their homework.
Monitor your screen time
Now, before you roll your eyes at me, it’s important that you at least know where you’re using your time. Most of us work with computers all day, so we don’t necessarily have the option of logging off in the name of decreasing our screentime. So, the amount of time spent on our devices may not necessarily be the problem, but the work we are doing: are we being productive? Are we completing our tasks? Or are we binge-watching the new season of Love Is Blind?
Schedule breaks
While you may be on your screens from 8a.m. to 5p.m. because of work or school, scheduling a time when you take a break from screens is important. That can look like taking a break every 20 minutes and just staring at the wall or at something out the window or across the street.
This is so that you avoid strain on your eyes. Of course, depending on your eye health, this could be a 30-second or five-minute break. Another hack is to get eyedrops. These can be obtained over-the-counter. It’s important to use eye drops if you use screens a lot because most of the time we forget to blink, which causes the redness and stinging feeling.
Set up a sleep schedule
On iPhones, you can set up Sleep Focus, which can silence all notifications an hour before bedtime up until the time that your alarm rings in the morning. I find this very effective because if I don’t hear that ping, then it’s easier to not be tempted to reach for the phone when I’m in bed.
You can manually set up something similar on any device. You can switch off your Wi-Fi or data and allow for some downtime, even 30 minutes before you go to sleep, and then switch on your internet the next morning. Don’t fall into the trap of ‘what if I miss something important’ because, tell me, did you receive an important notification that made you jump out of bed this week?
Explore offline hobbies
Okay, what if you do put your phone aside? Now you have to fill up that time with something worth your time. Because the moment you feel boredom creep in, guess what your hand will reach for?
Grab that book off your shelf and finally open it. Buy some yarn and learn how to knit. Prepare a meal without watching Friends. Go to the doctor’s appointment without your phone. Do something that makes you sit with yourself and that you can fully be immersed in. This can also be group activities, such as going to a café or the park and not touching your phone. Though convincing others to stay off their phones for an hour or more would be your next challenge.
Have a physical journal
I love how we are all embracing journals and starting our days by planning them out and writing things we are grateful for. Take it a step further and write your notes down on paper, your goals, and your to-do lists, too. It’s also good to meditate in silence for a few minutes instead of checking your emails before you even see if your legs work.
De-clut-ter
I will preach on this until my lungs give out! I am big on decluttering and clearing out what no longer serves you, be it relationships, clothes, or even applications. Get rid of that app you downloaded on a whim but never opened. You can actually see when you last opened an app in your settings. Let that guide you when deleting apps, because sometimes we lie to ourselves and say, “I might need it,” but baby, you last used it in September 2023. I’m pretty sure you’re good without it.
And while you’re at it, if you have trouble with self-control, delete the apps you often run to but don’t really need to have on all your devices.
And, if for no other reason, a reduced screen time minimises the time we spend on social media, ergo the need to watch what other people are doing and saying. It also improves our health and productivity.
