Tips to reduce screen time

MANY studies have shown that too much screen time is bad for our health. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to spend less time looking at your smartphone, here are some helpful tips.

Check your phone less frequently

Set times and guidelines allowing yourself to be on the phone only at certain times of the day, says Baylor College of Medicine’s Dr Jin Han.

“We do this when we have other lifestyle issues like with exercising, for example. If you do not set some exercise guidelines for yourself, then it can lead to a sedentary life. Smart device use is the same problem. If you are on your phone excessively, it is not healthy.”

Another way to use your phone less is to delete all the apps you don’t need, and turn off push notifications for the ones you want to keep. You can also turn notifications off for your email account so that it only updates when you manually refresh it.

Break your reliance

“Our phones have gone from regular cell phones to smartphones that allow you to multitask with one device,” notes Dr Han. “You use your phone now to receive emails, text, chat and access social media platforms.”

To help break this reliance ask yourself what you need your phone for at that moment. If you don’t need to be on your phone, then don’t use it.

You can also replace smartphone features with real objects, for example you can buy an alarm clock instead of starting your morning with the phone alarm. Or buy a new planner, so you can write your appointments and to-do list there instead of in your phone.

Break up with Facebook

If asked where we spend most of our time online, many would say Facebook. Quitting Facebook would, for some, reduce their screen time. For those who want to try kicking their Facebook habit but need some support, the team behind the Dutch project, 99 Days of Freedom (99daysoffreedom.com) are here to help.

Limit nighttime use

Being on your phone late into the night can make it harder for you to fall asleep and wake up the next day, with many studies also suggesting that it reduces the quality and quantity of your sleep.

Many experts recommend putting away the phone two hours before bed. If this is difficult for you, aim for at least 30 minutes. – Relaxnews