On the 1st June 2023 I sat watching the first episode of a long-awaited drama and after 20 minutes into it was aware that I had picked up my phone.

What was more worrying was that by the time I realised, I had already checked Facebook, Instagram and my favourite news channel. Just like my ability to inhale chocolate, I had inhaled a whole load of media without even realising the gates were open.

I was on autopilot with my phone.

According to recent data, the average person spends 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phone each day. And 1 in 5 smartphone users spends upwards of 4.5 hours on average on their phones every day.

On average, people check their phones 58 times per day. And almost 52% of phone checks (30 per day) occur during work hours.

Picking your phone up can become a habit as data shows that half of all screen time sessions begin within 3 minutes of the last.

There is no need to go into the effect that endless smartphone use has on mental health, it has been well documented. That said, I am living proof that mental health can be improved by turning a phone from a crack phone into a stress-free useful tool.

Are you addicted?

It's easy to brush off smartphone use as a harmless habit, but if you find yourself distracted from daily tasks or neglecting your relationships in favor of your phone, it might be time to take a step back. Signs of smartphone addiction include constant checking of notifications, excessive social media use, and overuse of apps to the point of interfering with other areas of your life.

I am going to help you set some boundaries and set up your phone to free up your time to actually enjoy life more.

Setting Boundaries

For me, setting boundaries meant being real honest with myself about what I was using my phone for. I would like you to do the same -

On IOS go to Screen Time and then click on See All Activity

(This image was showing the day I decided to do something about my addiction!)

You will now get a list of where you spend the most time. Look at your top 5.

My list was:

Safari (looking at news sites)
Facebook
Instagram
Mail
Whatsapp

The rest of the usage was negligable in terms of time/addictive quality.

If using Android then you’ll need to access Digital Wellbeing.

Go to Settings

Tap Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls

Under Digital Wellbeing tools, tap show your data

(the first time you use Digital Wellbeing you’ll need to set up a profile)

With this list in front of you, I invite you to be really honest about each one. Each of my top 5 was an addictive habit. Doom scrolling the news sites being my particular dopamine hit of choice, closely followed by Facebook and Instagram.

Ok, now you have your list we are going to get to work.

1) DELETE

There is no easy way to say this but you are going to have to delete the apps that you can’t be trusted with. I tried using freedom blocker to restrict my usage…then simply binged on the apps when the block of time had ended. It didn’t ‘cure’ my addiction,

My web browser was a tricky one - more of that in a moment….

IOS - keep scrolling right until you see all your apps. Then press and hold an app until you get the option to delete it. Scary yet satisfying!

Android - swipe up on your home screen to see all your apps. Then press and hold an app to delete it.

I couldn’t delete my web browser (safari). Same goes on an android phone. You will need to disable the app.

IOS - Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps and then disable Safari.

Android - Settings > Apps and then click on web browser. At the bottom should be an option to either uninstall or disable. I would disable for now if it is in your top 5.

A note on web browsers - at first I was reticent about disabling Safari. My fear was that I wouldn’t be able to look something up if I needed to. I now put it into my notes to look up on my laptop at a convenient time. If really desperate I ask Siri

2) PREVENT

If you find yourself trying to reinstall apps on the phone, make it harder to do so!

In my case, I had to treat myself like a child….

Here is a great video showing you how to do it:

IOS

Android

SUPPORT

Finally, consider seeking accountability. Reach out to friends or family members and let them know you're working on reducing phone usage. They can offer support and hold you accountable. Additionally, consider finding a tribe of people who are working on the same goal as you.

I love this subreddit - here . To avoid becoming addicted to Reddit, I don’t have the app and I only go on it occasionally via my laptop.

Find an offline tribe and/or new habits- join a sports club, go and learn a new skill (I am going to learn to climb), spend face to face time with family, go and walk in the woods.

CONCLUSION

Smartphone addiction is a real problem that can affect anyone. The constant pinging of notifications and access to instant gratification can be alluring, but taking intentional steps to reduce phone use can greatly improve overall well-being.

If you need to cement the belief that you will be better off without these addictive apps then consider this:

WhistleOut said, “The average person spends a little over 76,500 hours on their smartphones over the course of their lifetime - which works out to 8.74 years of your life. “This is based on the average age of acquiring a phone - which is now just over 10 years old - coupled with 3.07 hours of average daily use.”

This paragraph has been dominating my thoughts. Imagine what you could do with just half that time?