Have you ever thought about creating a healthier relationship with your phone? My guess is that you spend more time with your phone than friends or loved ones. Most of us are glued to our phones. If we can’t find them we experience a horribly dreadful feeling. The more connected we are to our phones, the less connected we are with other people.

Having face-to-face contact or talking with someone over the phone leads to a much deeper connection than social media allows. You might think you have all these friends on line, yet how many of them would be willing to go to your house and feed your pets?

I recently read an article in the New York Times about Google employees taking a night off from social media. That sounds like an interesting idea. It doesn’t sound that difficult but it might be. This was a challenge set to help people have a healthier relationship with their phones. I don’t know about you. But I tend to spend more time on my phone than I intend.

Don’t despair; there are ways to improve our relationship with our phones. Below are some tips on how to help.

How to have a healthier relationship with your phone

Triggers

Recognizing what triggers you to grab for your phone is the first step to change. If you aren’t aware of what you are doing, how can you change your behavior? Are you bored, lonely, or anxious? Perhaps you are trying to avoid doing something. There are all sorts of reasons we grab our phones. Before we know it more than an hour has gone by.

Resist the urge

Once you recognize what is leading to the urge to use your phone, how can you satisfy that urge in a healthy way? If you are bored, is there something else you can do that would be more productive? Maybe you want to contact a friend, engage in a hobby, or play with your pet, clean, exercise, or grocery shop.

Be present to have a healthier relationship with your phone

Another danger of our phones is we are using them while engaging in another activity. Are you texting while you are going for a walk, or when hanging out with other people? Maybe you are on your phone while in a meeting at work or seminar. This prevents you from being truly present. As a result you are missing out on so much of life.

When you are with other people or engaged in other activities, stay in the moment. When you go for a walk, notice all the flowers, trees, scents, houses, animals, and people. It will be so much more rewarding. If you don’t pay attention to what is around you, it’s easy to get disconnected from yourself.

Next time you go for a walk or are with people, why not put your phone on silent or turn it off?

Schedule breaks from technology

Why not try a no tech evening? It would be an interesting experiment. It might also show how much you are connected to your phone. Perhaps you could also challenge your partner or other friends. You might feel freer and happier. Who knows?

Get an accountability partner

It is easy to set a goal for us. No one knows if we actually achieve it. However if you share your goal with another person, you are more likely to stick with it. Your accountability partner can be there just for you and check in. Or the two of you could do it together.

Another idea would be for family members to point it out if you are using your phone while they are talking to you or during a meal.

Take social media off your phone

Most of us scroll through social media on our phones. However if you leave it up only on your computer you will use it less often as it isn’t as convenient. This is the perfect solution if you need it for work, or be in contact with those you love.

Turn off notifications

We are like Pavlov’s dogs. Every time our phone dings we have to check it out. It can get annoying at times, especially if you are on group texts. Why not turn off your notifications? That way you can look at your phone every so often and see if there is anything you need to respond to.

Set boundaries to have a healthier relationship with your phone

Another idea is to set boundaries with your phone. Decide if there are certain times you will not have your phone with you. Perhaps it is mealtime. When you think of it, this is one of the few times a day where family members or friends can connect. You can’t be with them and on your phone at the same time.

You may also decide to turn your phone off while exercising. This is a time to connect with you.

These are just a few ideas. I’m sure you can come up with other ones on your own. Regardless, if you feel like your phone or social media time is affecting work or relationships, therapy can help. We can work on tools for creating a healthier relationship with your phone. Give me a call at 713-304-6554.

Take care,

Debbie