Limiting your smartphone use can be challenging. Here are some tools that can help you depend on it less frequently.
Quitting your phone is hard. But also, why would you want to? Just because technology creeps you out doesn’t mean that the world and our current culture will change. No matter how vintage we want our lives to be, there are great technological developments that we shouldn’t miss out on because, like it or not, our current devices are things that we often need to rely on.
What should be addressed, however, is how much time we waste on them. Although you can always quit social media entirely by deleting the apps, there’s no reason why you should let go of something that brings you joy. The best thing you can do is monitor your phone usage and limit its power over you, buying yourself other devices and tools that can split up your phone’s tasks more evenly.
Check out five cheap and simple things you can do in order to reduce how much you depend on your phone.
Alarm clock
Although your phone has an excellent alarm, the fact that you reach for it first thing in the morning makes it a huge source of temptation and procrastination. Try to start your day off the right way, by having some coffee, working out, or doing something other than checking your social media. Alarm clocks help a lot, and there are tons of cute ones you can purchase online.
Paper journals and planners
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Phones are great organizational tools but you could get these same benefits from other sources, such as journals and planners. If you’re a visual person, you can purchase dry erase boards and calendars, which are great for organizing your weeks and are also a fun and playful way of keeping your brain unscrambled.
MP3 players
MP3 players are practically ancient relics but there are still some that have survived and that aren’t iPods, which at their most rudimentary cost a minimum of $200. Average MP3 players cost between $20 – $30, and have really long battery lives. They’re a little ugly but there’s some charm to them, which gives you the perfect chance to cultivate new hobbies like downloading music instead of streaming it.
Noise canceling headphones
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There are dozens of noise canceling headphones with different price ranges, isolating sound and helping you stay focused at home or at work. These devices can help you get immersed in a task without having to hear your phone beeping or allowing for any other type of distractions.
Keep your phone out of reach while it charges
Finally, one of the most useful ways of keeping some distance from your phone is to charge the device out of your reach, preferably in some place that’s far from your bed or your room. This will allow you to get less distracted while you sleep and will also eliminate annoying instances like being awoken by a notification or by your screen lighting up because your phone completed its charging cycle.
