How I Deal With My Addiction
Recognizing The Problem
Without so much as a second thought, I'm trapped again. Mindlessly scrolling through unimportant feed. Incapable of recognizing the control I have now lost, I sit idle staring at a blue screen. With a sudden sense of awareness, I drop my phone, shaking my head in disbelief. I have fallen victim again.
The scene I have shared is one that all too many people have experienced. In fact, it has become so common that I have coined a phrase around it, ‘Phone Dependency’. This is what I term my condition to be. I describe it as the inability to comfortably face life without the companionship of a phone.
As I have shared this problem with others I have received surprisingly similar feedback. I seem to be joined with a host of others facing this issue. In fact, next time you are in a public setting or in line at a grocery store or even at stoplight, take note of whether or not you reach for your phone. This activity may be eye opening for you.
Negative Side Effects
From personal experience and discussions with others, I have recorded some of the side effects of this problem. For myself, I have seen comparison (mostly from social media), idleness coupled with decreased productivity and even streaks of anxiety. All of these seem to get worse as I have increased the frequency and time spent on my phone. Others have told me they felt ‘disconnected’ and even lonelier the more time they spent on their phone. In saying, this I do not wish to claim that phones are bad or will result in these side effects, but from a personal experience this is what I have gone through.
If it's all doom and gloom, what hope is there for a recovery? Below I have listed some ideas that have worked for me and have been suggested to me by others.
Three Simple Solutions
1) Airplane Mode
This has been a huge help with my productivity. I have found that even having my phone on vibrate or silent is not enough. Once that screen lights up, my time vanishes. I suggest turning this setting on before you start work and only turning it back on when you have enough free time to burn. (aka. On lunch break or after work)
2) No Bedroom
REMOVE YOUR PHONE FROM YOUR ROOM. For me this was very hard at first to get used to. I use to watch videos until I fell asleep and immediately after waking up I would check my social media. After I removed my phone from my bedroom, the temptation to waste time was immediately gone. I even found that I have slept better since. (Buy an alarm clock)
3) Mindful Use
Growing up I was taught to do all things with intention. I believe this translates to phone use as well. Learning to name the app or deciding in your mind what app you're going to use before you open it, can be such a time saver. You will be amazed by how often you mindlessly select apps out of habit and with no clear intention.
I hope these suggestions help you bring more self control back into your life.
"Recovery is hard, regret is harder." ~ Brittany Burgunderh
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