Written by: Kirat Atwal
I can’t be the only one who spends hours scrolling through social media, only to feel guilty and unproductive afterward and wish I spent my time more productively. Over the summer, I have made it a personal goal to limit my screen time and get back into doing the things I love, discovering new hobbies that benefit me more than consuming all the available media. Here are some tips I have learned to help you beat procrastination and limit your screen time!
1. Be aware and set boundaries
The first thing you want to do is see which apps you spend the most time on and set screen limits on those apps so you cannot overuse them every day. You want these limits to be realistic and create small wins for yourself, so you stick with it over time. In order to stick with the screen limits, I suggest letting someone else set the override password, so you are not met with any temptations.
2. Replace your bad habit with a good one
I find I scroll the most when I have some free time, as a reward for doing whatever I was occupied with before, whether it was being in class or coming back from work. This can be a slippery slope into spending the rest of your evening on your phone until you go to sleep. It’s better to keep being preoccupied with hobbies that get you moving and keep your mind sharp. Working out or simply going for walks is a great way to spend your time and benefits your mind and body in many ways. I’ve recently started to get back into creative hobbies I loved as a kid, like paint-by-numbers, water colouring, and making scrapbooks. If you have a digital camera or a Polaroid camera, this is a great way to have fun with your memories! Low-effort things like listening to podcasts or journaling are also good alternatives. In times where you have no choice but to stare at the sky or go on your phone, like when you’re waiting at a bus stop, I try to do something useful. I know we all have many useless screenshots on our phones, so I try to clean out my photo app or get rid of any apps I don’t use anymore to free up storage and get rid of anything cluttering. Playing games might seem counterproductive, but taking the time to do the daily Wordle is a better, mind-strengthening alternative to scrolling.
3. Out of sight, out of mind
Putting your phone in a different room away from you will get your brain to do something you’re probably avoiding since you got rid of the distraction. It’s a good time to focus on tasks like cleaning, doing your laundry, reorganizing, or rearranging your space. When you get rid of the breaks to go on your phone every 2 minutes, you’ll find that you’re done a lot faster and save more time.
Screentime is like an addiction and should be treated as such to help yourself get out of the rabbit hole. You’ll feel more energetic, have less mental fog and experience less fatigue. It takes consistency and discipline, but the reward of getting your time back and using it intentionally is worth the fight!