Countless advancements in technology over the last few decades has made everything so much more convenient for us, becoming such an indispensable part of our lives now that we can hardly imagine life without it.

Smart phones have gone beyond the traditional functionalities of a phone and combined with many other functions to become a machine that we rely on for practically everything today. And while using such devices for our day-to-day tasks, work, school, socialising with friends and families is perfectly normal, not being able to detach ourselves from it may become just as much an addiction problem as drugs and alcohol.

So here are four tips on how to unplug from our phones and slowly overcome this growing addiction!

Recognise The Problem

As with other forms of addiction, recognising that you are addicted is an important part in overcoming the addiction. Reflect on whether you think that you have allowed your phone usage to impact your social life and work activities, then you can take that first step in working towards a solution to the problem.

Track Usage

Keeping track of your usage can seem like a tedious way to start the weaning process, but it is a good method to try and cut things short sooner than later. Start to set the timer on your phone and set the maximum time (perhaps about 15 to 20 minutes) allowed for you to check on your news feeds or communicate with someone on all those social networking sites. Using this method will help you be more conscious of how much time you are devoted to such activities on your phone, so set boundaries for yourself and stick to it, otherwise you will be left pondering about what you have been doing all day. While it may seem kind of weird to be using the phone’s timer function to keep track of your phone usage, think of it as a good way to make use of its “good” functions to counter the “bad” parts.

Be In The Moment

Clichéd as that sounds, sometimes we let our phones take over our lives so much that we lose those moments of respite that allow us to pause, relax or reflect. So firstly, don’t take your phone everywhere with you, even on those short toilet breaks at work. When you are making face-to-face conversation with your friends or significant other, try to at least put the phone out of your sight and focus on the real-life conversation. Also, editing, uploading and tagging photos to be shared on Facebook, and then responding to comments can wait till later. Enjoy the experience of ‘now’.

Don’t Sacrifice Rest

Never lose precious sleep over playing on your phone, whether it is scrolling through Instagram, text messaging, playing games or shopping online. Try to avoid this by staying away from such online interactions an hour before bedtime. Also, do your best to dedicate the first few minutes of waking up to start the day afresh, not by checking updates on your phone the first thing in the morning, but doing positive activities such as stretching and preparing an awesome breakfast.

We hope these have been useful in helping to curb phone usage on your own! What is your strategy to overcome such an addiction? Share with us in the comments section below.