Smartphones are ruining my life

1stDec'24

I have been trying to actively reduce my phone screen time for the past month.

I have a fair idea of when I am using my phone which is at every point of my day – First thing waking up, at the gym, brushing my teeth, showering, the morning dump, having breakfast, changing clothes, while going to work, at work, while working, coming back from work, winding down after work, while being with friends, before sleeping.

Time spent on my phone is mainly: listening to music and cycling through 4 social media apps – WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

As much as I would want to believe that my “addiction” is unique to me, I fear that so many people around me are also addicted to the same extent, if not more.

Why do I want to change?

There has been a string of bad days and worse nights lately, and I had this hunch that I am trying to distract my thoughts using my phone. I was probably right because life has become much more difficult without my phone. A simple act of brushing my teeth while standing alone with my thoughts is a challenge every morning.

What am I doing to change?

I have a no phone in washrooms rule that has found 95% success.

I am using apps like Digital Detox that block using certain apps or the entire phone.

I have deleted social media apps and force myself to open desktop to get that dopamine.

I actively try to keep my phone away from my bed before sleeping. I am trying to use this extra time to read more. It’s an effective strategy, because if I don’t like what I am reading, I will immediately fall asleep, the book drops from my hand as my eyes shut.

Is it working?

Not as much progress as I expected but it is getting better. Its relatively difficult to make active lifestyle changes if life is difficult but I think detoxing will help me stay in the moment and be more focused in the long run.