Do you cringe when your weekly screen time report notification pops up on your phone? Worried you’re consuming too much technology? Wondering if you are in control of your relationship with your tech? Honestly, most of us are likely overly reliant on our phones, aren’t we? But we can’t really avoid technology in this modern age. So how do we find a balance between productive and necessary tech usage and consuming valuable content while still making time for in-person relationships and for recharging ourselves? We know there is life outside of our screens; how do we get back to that a bit more? Here are a few thoughts on why we should consider unplugging (either a little or a lot) as well as some strategies and ideas on how to go about it.

1. 
   Why Unplug?

Find more time in your day and increase productivity – less time scrolling leaves more time for doing! Reduce the distractions and the low-key, semi-constant stress that comes from notification bings, beeps and buzzes. The constant dopamine hits we get from checking our phones will backfire on us; we often end up addicted to those little hits yet simultaneously exhausted by them. Also, not hunching over your phone or sitting slouched in front of your computer is so much better for your posture, your eyes and your brain. In addition, digesting social media inevitably leads to varying degrees of dissatisfaction, loneliness and even depression; disconnecting from other people’s posed, perfected, insta-worthy snapshots allows you to be more present in your own life, to reconnect with yourself and to stop the comparison cycle. And less evening screen time leads to more sleep and deeper sleep.

1. 
   Morning Habits

A highly effective strategy is to have an hour of no-go phone time in the mornings. Don’t touch it – don’t scroll, don’t check emails, don’t text or make calls. Some people are even resorting to using an actual alarm clock instead of their phones so they’re not tempted to sneak a peek or to just send this one quick…nope. No. Go. This sets your day in motion in a more organic way and allows you to be intentional about the tone and direction of your thoughts as you begin each day. Take control of your day rather than being tossed around on the random waves of the internet’s latest and greatest.

1. 
   Do Not Disturb

Turn on your phone’s do not disturb mode – definitely have this set during the night, but you might also try using it during the day as needed. You could also turn off social media notifications. Additionally, consider moving your social media apps (or whatever apps distract you) to the last page of your home screen so those little notification badges are less attention-grabbing. Some people find that deleting social media apps on the weekends works well for them; others log out of social media apps on their computers to avoid the temptation to “just check insta for a few minutes” during their work hours. Another strategy is to more closely curate the content you consume. That sleeping cat video was so so cute, but was it worth the 45 seconds of your life that you’ll never get back? Make sure the stories and feeds you do look at are important to you and are worth the investment you’re making by watching them.

1. 
   Schedule It

There’s nothing inherently wrong with binging some Netflix, falling down the TikTok rabbit hole for a while, gaming or TV watching. These can be great ways to unwind. It’s when we get sucked into these types of things too often or when we do them instead of being productive and handling our responsibilities that we run into problems. Some people have great success with scheduling their “tech hour” (or however long you’re comfortable with). Put it on your calendar. It’s easier to deny yourself a quick TikTok scroll now – you know how easily that leads to oops, there went 45 minutes – when you can just tell yourself, no, I won’t do that now because I can do that during my scheduled tech hour or after work or after I finish this project. Whatever works for you.

1. 
   Bedtime…For Your Tech

Another strategy is to create a bedtime for your phone / iPad / TV / etc. After, say, 9:30pm, you plug it in, you make sure your do not disturb is on, and you leave it until morning (after your no-go hour, of course). This gives your mind time to unwind and to get in touch with your natural circadian rhythm. No screen time a bit before bed also allows your body to produce melatonin so that you can get to sleep; the blue light from our phones (even in night mode) delays or even halts melatonin production. 

For most of us, technology has become a habit. Yes, we need our calendars and reminders and phone calls and emails and DMs. But do we truly need to be that accessible every minute of every day? Most of us don’t. We can all benefit from a bit of peace and quiet. Perhaps we don’t even realize our increasing dependence on technology and the dopamine hits we get from checking our phones so frequently. The good news is that we can make unplugging a habit just as much as we have made being plugged in a habit. Do it just a little with an extra hour of DND or a phone bedtime, or go all-in with a full tech sabbatical. Do what feels right for you, but you’ll be glad you did.