It\u2019s easier to ignore your phone if it doesn\u2019t buzz every\u00a0few seconds with a text, email, or social media update.\u00a0
They\u2019ll all be there, no matter how long you wait to you\u00a0check your phone, and you might feel better and more\u00a0productive if you let them linger a bit.\u00a0
If you can\u2019t afford to miss a message from your spouse\u00a0or kid, you can set your phone so only certain texts get\u00a0through.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/alarm-clock-01.jpg\")
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Get an alarm clock <\/strong> Keep the phone aside <\/strong> Tech free time <\/strong> Plan some offline time <\/strong> Create phone free zones<\/strong> Do not disturb <\/strong> Get rid of apps <\/strong> Install helpful apps <\/strong> The the (right) talk <\/strong> Manage expectations <\/strong> Trade Your Smartphone for a \u2018Dumbphone\u2019 <\/strong> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" That we are living in an age of near constant digital distraction is now old news.\u00a0 By this point, you have no doubt read\u00a0about the studies linking the devices in\u00a0your pocket to diminished happiness, focus,\u00a0productivity\u00a0and cognitive performance.\u00a0 So, the question is\u00a0\u00a0\u201cHow can we overcome\u00a0our addiction to distraction so we can focus\u00a0on the things that actually […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":5016,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3215"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3215\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6498,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3215\/revisions\/6498"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
When you use your phone\u2019s alarm to wake up in the\u00a0morning, you\u2019re more likely to get sucked into\u00a0checking your email, texts, and social media.\u00a0
An alarm clock keeps the phone out of your hands at\u00a0least a few more minutes.\u00a0
Other ideas include charging it overnight in another\u00a0room and setting a specific time to look at it in the\u00a0morning.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Some experts suggest going without your phone for 3\u00a0days.\u00a0
That can help you kick bad phone habits and find new,\u00a0healthier things to do instead.\u00a0
You can ease your way back into using it -- say, just calls and texts at certain times -- then gradually start to do other things if you decide you want to again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/monopoly-game.jpg\")
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If you can\u2019t imagine life without your phone for 3 days,\u00a0set aside certain times that are phone-free in your\u00a0household.\u00a0
That might be an hour or so each evening before\u00a0dinner or every Sunday afternoon.\u00a0
Go for a walk or play cards or a board game --\u00a0anything that gives you a chance to talk and engage\u00a0with one another.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Try something simple like reading a book or going to\u00a0the park with your dog.\u00a0
No need to post pictures about any of that on social\u00a0media.\u00a0
Instead, invite some friends to meet you for coffee or a\u00a0jog and see them in person.\u00a0
Tell them you\u2019re turning your phone off, and they may\u00a0decide to do the same.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/phone-free-zone.jpg\")
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It\u2019s not a great idea to take your phone out in the\u00a0bathroom.\u00a0
Mainly, for reasons of basic hygiene, but also because\u00a0it can be good to keep your phone out of certain parts\u00a0of your life.\u00a0
Those also might include meal timing, playtime with\u00a0your kids, and driving.\u00a0
It\u2019s a healthy way to get used to short amounts of time\u00a0without it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Some smartphones have a setting that lets you limit\u00a0certain parts of your phone during a set time every\u00a0day.\u00a0
For example, you could stop all calls and aler\u00ad\u00adts\u00a0between 5 and 9 p.m. and after midnight.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/get-rid-apps.jpg\")
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Those games are designed to keep you coming back\u00a0for more, but they can\u2019t if they\u2019re not there.\u00a0
You just might be able to get by with phone, text, and\u00a0email on your phone -- you can check social media\u00a0when you\u2019re on your computer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Some apps can help limit the time you spend on your\u00a0phone by locking you out of certain things during set\u00a0times of day or after you\u2019ve spent a specific amount of\u00a0time on them.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
You\u2019re more likely to leave your phone in your pocket\u00a0if you say, \u201cI\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0check my phone at dinner\u201d than if\u00a0you say, \u201cI\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0check my phone at dinner.\u201d\u00a0
It might be because \u201ccan\u2019t\u201d suggests you\u2019ve been\u00a0denied something.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
If you want to spend less time on your phone but are\u00a0concerned that people will think you\u2019re rude or get\u00a0upset if you don\u2019t respond quickly, just tell them.\u00a0
Say you\u2019re trying to break the phone habit and it might\u00a0be a while before you get back to them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/cell-phone-01.jpg\")
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If the temptation of a pocket-sized computer is just too\u00a0much, a cellphone that can only call and text might be\u00a0a solution.\u00a0
It can\u2019t download apps or access the Internet,\u00a0but it's\u00a0much less expensive and might be just the thing that\u00a0sets you free.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n