BREAK FREE FROM THE CELL (PHONE)

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media are absorbing a big part of our attention, we can easily access any kind of information - anywhere and anytime. But what if the digital world starts taking up too much space in our daily life? What if "just a quick look" becomes an addiction?

It has become our dearest companion, we almost feel naked when we don't have it with us: the smartphone. We are living in the so-called "digital age". People are walking around with a lowered head, almost everything can be dealt with online nowadays. At first sight, this sounds like progress and blessing. But:

ARE YOU IN CONTROL?

In most cases, unlocking the screen or scrolling through the facebook feed is more of a habit than an actual conscious act. It is simply a way to cope with boredom or moments of nothingness. We have the feeling that something has to happen all the time. We are longing for input, even though our brain is hardly able to cope with all those information. Here is how to break the vicious circle.

1) Download an app

Wait, what? Wasn't this article supposed to explain how to stop using the cell phone? Don't worry, you got it right. But sometimes, the villain itself is the best accomplice. Especially when you cannot afford to simply turn it off since you need to be reachable for your clients, for example. In this case, you can either change your settings to reduce pop-ups and notifications that insistently demand your attention. Or you download apps such as QualityTime or Forest that help you keep track of your phone usage. They also offer features that lock certain apps or remind you to stay focused on whatever task you're trying to finish without getting distracted.

Sometimes it already works wonders to simply remove the apps in question (Facebook, Instagram etc.) from your home screen. The more clicks it takes to activate the app, the less motivated you are to do so.

2) Set times

If it seems strange to you to fight your phone addiction with the very "drug" itself, you can become your own time manager. To do so, choose a certain time period during the day when you do not want to use your phone at all. You can for example decide that you only check social media during your lunch break and on your way home after work. To make it easier for yourself, activate the flight mode during those "no-phone" time periods or turn off notifications that could become distracting. If possible, put the mobile phone out of sight to lower the temptation. Leave it in your bag or put it in another room.

To make the whole thing a little bit more binding, you can make a deal with yourself: for each time you unlock the screen during the "break period", you have to put 10 cents into the savings box. This autonomous approach requires a certain amount of self-discipline, but it works quite well with a bit of practice.

3) Look for alternatives

Phone addiction is like any other kind of addiction: we have the feeling that we need the object of desire and we start getting nervous when we cannot have it anytime we want. The first step into the right direction is to acknowledge the "problem". The world will keep turning even if you haven't seen all of today's Instagram stories and your best friend will most likely survive when she gets an answer in two hours instead of right now.

Since swiping up and down the screen is often an automatic motion rather than an aimed action, let's try to find a more meaningful alternative. Every time your hand moves towards your pocket, stop for a moment and do something else instead. Write down one thing you are thankful for, make a silly scribble into your notebook, plan your next groceries or plait your hair. It is important to actively do something with your hands and distract yourself from the phone.

4) Leave it at home

This is maybe the most radical and efficient way: a so-called "cold turkey". If you don't have your cell phone with you, you cannot use it. Makes sense. This is of course not the best solution if you need your phone for work or if you need to be reachable in case your kids have a problem and try to call you. But even if you don't necessarily need your phone all the time, this is still a rather advanced option and can be seen as an addition to the other ways presented in this article.

To take things slowly, you could start by leaving your phone at home when doing your next groceries. Write down the things you need on paper instead of using an app and you won't need to take your phone with you anymore. After that, you can gradually increase the intervals as you please. Leave it at home when you go to the cinema (you will have to switch it off anyway), when you walk your dog or when you go to the hairdresser. Don't be too hard on yourself though, it's the small steps that bring you to the final destination.

5) Join forces

If you have the feeling that you cannot deal with this issue all by yourself, talk to your friends about it. Maybe they even have the same problem and you can support each other. You could sign a contract that says that each time one of you exceeds the set time limit, the "loser" has to pay a glass of beer or a piece of cake. This requires a certain amount of honesty and trust, but it also adds some fun to the whole thing and makes it a game rather than a painful constraint.

As a last resort, give your phone to a friend for a certain amount of time. For example during your collective lunchbreak or the university lecture. Tell him not to give it to you, no matter how many foot massages you promise him or how many compliments you make. Like that, it's no longer your sole responsibility to stay in control, and when your phone is out of reach, it often becomes surprisingly easy to do without. Especially when you can enjoy your friends' precious (and real!) company instead.