10 ways to effectively reduce your screen time

Technology is something we are always thankful for because it has made our lives easier and we are now totally dependent upon it. Since the invention of smartphones, using technology has become easier. Thanks to smartphones, we can do a lot of things at our fingertips.

On the other hand, it can be annoying and obstruct creative thought. Worse yet, some people say we're completely addicted to technology. And it goes without saying that this isn't good for our mental and physical wellbeing.

When it comes to phones, we spend 4-5 hours every day on them. Furthermore, we use our phones more than 60 times a day. However, we can assume that these values are significantly higher due to an increase in WFH and social isolation caused by COVID-19.

Keep track of your screen time and set time limitations.

We all know how much we are addicted to technology. We cannot deny how much we love our smartphones, and we cannot live without them. If we give importance to something more than simple use, it becomes a part of us.

But continuing using smartphones can affect our health and we need to control our screen timing. We can keep tracking our screentime by looking into our settings, and if we see we are using it more, we can just set a reminder for it, and we will get notification that we have used more than we planned. This way, we can stop ourselves from spending more time on our mobile or laptop screens.

Don't eat your meals in front of a screen.

We know we are addicted to screens when it comes to TV, laptops, or smartphones. We keep using them even when we are eating. This will take a lot of time, and we cannot fully focus on our food. To avoid this, put your phones away and turn off the television.

Scientifically, it is proven that it affects our health when we spend more time in front of the screen. It can affect our eyes and cause other health-related disadvantages.

Do not watch movies or TV in bed.

When you watch movies in bed, you get comfortable, and then you keep watching. Instead of watching TV on your bed, you can choose to watch it on your couch. This way, you can stop yourself from watching more TV or that one extra episode of your favorite series.

Reduce the amount of time you spend on social media.

Thanks to the internet, we have countless options to communicate with friends and family all over the world. However, frequent speaking means we spend far too much time staring at our phones and other devices.

Try to schedule phone calls with faraway loved ones and face-to-face catch-ups with close family members if at all possible.

Do not bring your phone everywhere.

You should try to avoid using your phone when it is not necessary. When you do things like go for a morning walk or decide not to use your phone when you enter your bedroom, This way, you can reduce your screentime.

Uninstall all the apps that you don't need.

We all know how addictive mobile apps can be. We recently discovered Tiktok and now the Instagram reels. Once you start to use them, you are just stuck in that loop and you don’t realize how much time you have spent. It is good to remove those unnecessary apps you don’t think are important.

Use grayscale instead of colour on the mobile screen.

If you start using a grayscale screen automatically, you will stop using it for a longer time because then you will not see it as attractive or tempting and you can just use your phone for important work and this will reduce your screentime.

If you want to enable a grayscale screen on your mobile phone, you can go to settings and turn it on.

Make more face-to-face meetings a priority.

It is normal to have a Zoom meeting, but if possible, you can switch to face-to-face. This will reduce your screentime and you get to socialize with real people. If it is not possible with official meetings, you can do it with your friends and family.

Keep your non-work screen time to a minimum.

If you are working in front of a screen, you cannot deny it's working, but if you are not working, and it’s not related to your work, you can keep your screen time to a minimum.

After hours, don't check your business emails or communication channels. When it may seem necessary to keep ahead of the game in a cutthroat corporate world, frequently checking your work email while at home increases your screen time and stress levels.

To avoid boredom, take up a new hobby.

We all know we get bored and that’s why we use our mobile, we use mobiles phones to pass the time, but instead of passing time with your mobile, you can take up a new hobby or read a new book. This will help you reduce your screentime to a minimum.