Serious about finding more time in your day? Lindsay is our Funky Buddha advocate for minimalism. Read about what boundaries she recommends to keep your smartphone from sneakily stealing away your time/life.
My phone used to be a huge distracting and time wasting device. I would do the scroll, impulse buy, get lost in reading depressing news article after news article after news article. And I could never seem to get rid of the itch to click the home button for fear-of-missing-out (aka FOMO). Over a year ago, I made a few simple changes on my device and with my habits to “un-plug” without missing out on any features my phone has to offer.
Here are four easy ways you can disconnect:
Turn off notifications. As. Many. As. Possible. Have you ever caught yourself compulsively checking for a new text or email? Me too. It’s a habit. After clicking on a hilarious text or a picture of a cute baby, your brain got the reward of momentary happiness and is now seeking more. Then, because you did it so many times, the pathway was ingrained and your brain kicked into autopilot. But guess what? The way to change any habit is to first be aware of it. And now you are! Woo-hoo! I recommend turning off ALL social media notifications AND email notifications (more on why later). I keep my text and phone notifications on, but I don’t carry my phone in my pocket, and when I’m home, it’s face down on the kitchen counter. I make the conscious choice NOT to check my phone while I’m at home playing with my kids. Setting this example is super important to me. The result: I get to fully be present for them. I get to watch them play and grow and learn. I get to listen to them, laugh with them, and really see them.
Unsubscribe and Unfollow. Do this. Not just once, but constantly. Evaluate everything that comes into your mailbox and everything in your feeds. I try and unsubscribe from all advertisements. (Careful, they’re sneaky and always creep back in.) Blocking these ads has made me more content and less triggered to shop. My inbox slowly started emptying, and all that was left was the good stuff. This also made the task of checking email quicker by cutting down on the volume of emails. By censoring my input, I make a deliberate choice about what is important to me. Consider this next time you’re scrolling Instagram or Facebook. Unfollow every “meh” and keep every “hell yes!” Then, when you set aside time to mindfully check your email and feeds, it will be perfectly curated for you by you.
Only check email/social media at scheduled and timed intervals. Remember when you turned off your notifications? This is why. Schedule time(s) to check your email and then, during that time, only check email. Do nothing else. Pick a time that’s good for you. Experiment. Get curious. Challenge yourself! That means when you get the urge to check for new emails and it’s not your scheduled time, notice the urgency come up. Feel the feeling. Take a deep breath, and return back to the task you were initially working on. Again, just bringing your awareness to this habit makes positive change possible. I don’t check Instagram until after completing a healthy daily practice (like meditation, yoga, or writing). Then it’s like a little reward. (After I sit down to meditate, I can check Instagram for 5 minutes! *Insert clapping hands emoji*)
Clear the home screen. You’ve unsubscribed and unfollowed and you still find yourself picking up your phone out of habit? Now we need to hide the candy bowl. You know–the candy bowl that sits out on the counter and makes it damn near impossible not to take a chocolate as you walk by. Put the candy in the cupboard. Hide it. Even more effective, get it out of the house. You getting the analogy? Set your home screen to an image that is calming or inspiring. Delete apps you don’t use. Delete apps you feel icky after binging on (news sources, Facebook, Amazon Prime, anyone?) Next, put all your remaining apps in a folder on the second page. Just seeing the app (candy) would make me want to click on (eat) it. Now, because they are hidden in a folder, (but still on my phone) I use the search option to find the app I’m looking for when I need it. For iPhone users, swipe left on the unlocked home screen and the search bar comes up at the top. Does this take a moment longer? Sure it does. But it forces me to pay attention to what I’m doing, so it’s worth it for me.
Today, I use my phone to connect with people, get directions, take pictures, and schedule my next yoga class 😉 . Decide what you want your phone to do for you, and make it happen. Your daily productivity will skyrocket, and this won’t even be the most precious benefit. I used to think more was better, but I’ve learned, the more I strip away the excess, the more I make space and time for what’s important.
