Five tips for cutting down on screen time

Spending hours aimlessly scrolling through your smartphone can be fun, but it can also have a huge impact on how productive you are in other aspects of your life and even the way you socialise.

It’s healthy to take a break from your devices from time to time, and though that might seem like an impossible task for some, it’s actually easier than you might think. We’ve compiled five easy ways to get started on cutting down your screen time.

Take your TV out of your bedroom

Settling down in bed after a long day to catch up on your new favourite series seems like a great idea, but the impact it can have on your sleep is not so ideal. To ensure you’re getting the best possible night’s rest, you should be winding down from technology about an hour before you retire – that means no scrolling through your phone at midnight, and definitely no Netflix binges that last until the early hours.

Taking the TV out of your room (or at least hiding the remote control) ensures that all of your big screen time is limited to the living room, and when it’s time for bed, it’s also time to sleep.

Implement a no phones at the dinner table rule

If you bring your phone to the dinner table with you, it’s hard to not take a glance at it every few seconds to see if you’ve got any new notifications, and if you’re doing it, it’s likely that your family are too.

Try to get into a routine that means that no one brings any type of tech device when it’s time to sit down and eat – either leave them in your pocket, or put them in another room so you can’t be tempted to have a quick stroll whilst waiting for your food to cool down.

Turn off irrelevant notifications

Lots of apps mean lots of notifications, and this leads to a habit of obsessive screen-checking every few minutes. To put a stop to this, it’s a good idea to scroll through all of your downloaded apps and see which ones you don’t really need constant notifications from.

Messages and emails are fine, but if you’re regularly bombarded with reminders that there’s a 20% sale on your favourite clothing site, it’s probably time to hush those notifications for now.

Make use of the Do Not Disturb feature

Phones and tablets are fitted with a Do Not Disturb feature for a reason. Though leaving your phone on silent at night is an effective way of making sure you don’t get woken up by a text early in the morning, it doesn’t stop you from waking up to a million notifications.

Popping your mobile on Do Not Disturb before you get into bed will barely waste any of your battery life and ensure that you don’t make yourself late in the morning by immediately scrolling through your social media accounts to see what you’ve been tagged in overnight.

Pick up a new hobby

Next time you have some free time that you’d usually spend aimlessly browsing the internet, consider doing something active instead, such as crafting or going for a stroll. Getting out of the house for some fresh air can improve your mood, and learning a new skill will give you a nice sense of accomplishment.