Instead of letting technology control your life, use it for its intended purpose: as a tool. You are the one with the responsibility to take charge of how you use it.
1. The Detox Phase
This is undoubtedly the hardest, but most important initial first step in curbing tech addiction. This is a 24 - 48 hour period of a complete tech detox. It's a short, planned removal of all kinds of technology from your life for a full day or weekend.
The Purpose:
The Process:
The Purpose:
- Better understand the grip that technology has on your mind
- Grasp how much time you truly spend on technology everyday
- Gain a vision of how your day could flow with less screen time
The Process:
- Be realistic in your planning of a date + time. The start of a busy workweek? Maybe not. A free weekend is ideal.
- Don't be isolated. Tell as many friends and family as you can; their encouragement is needed. They might initially snicker, but at some point they'll be curious about how it works, admit their own feelings of overindulgence, and ask how they can do it.
- Social media cleanse. If you're serious about a detox for a short while, choose someone you absolutely trust to change your social media passwords for a little while, just to remove any temptation. This will allow you to better understand its place in your life.
- Separate. Put your communication devices in a shoebox or dresser drawer like a shoebox or a dresser drawer. You need to emotionally and physically separate yourself from these devices.
- Journal. get a paper journal, and ten minutes before bed every night, journal some things to get in tune with yourself. As yourself how your face to face interactions are with your loved ones. Describe your reliance on technology. Even express your fears in eliminating so much technology usage from your life. Next, in your journal, write down a list of every single technological device you have in your home that requires a charger or AC power. You'll quickly realize how many devices have a grip on you, and how much you rely on them. You don't have to live without all of these devices, but can learn to simply view them differently.
- Do things. Don't allow yourself to simply sit and wait for the time to pass. Do things during this time that you've been putting off. Spend time with people you love. Get outside. Enjoy the "margin" moments of life that we often miss when we fill that time with our screens.
- Reflect. Think about how different your life looked to not be glued to screens. Think about how free you feel. Think about how your conversations were more intentional. Think about how you used your time. What from this do you want to carry with you into your everyday life?
2. Face Down to Face Forward
When having a conversation or sharing a meal with someone, make a mutual pact to put your phones face down out of sight somewhere in order to engage in real conversation. By doing this, you are giving someone the respect they both deserve by sharing with them your undivided attention. Cultivate this time and allow it to be seasoned with intentionality and purpose. After all -- human connection is one of the most important things we can have in this lifetime. Don't allow your screens to get in the way of planned relational time.
3. Set a Time Limit
While using technology for leisure activities (ex social media, video games), our brains do not have an automatic "off-switch". In fact, the devices we are using are engineered to encapsulate our minds in this way, so that we will spend more time on them. Therefore, we need something to "wake us up" when using tech in this way, so that hours don't pass without us realizing. Choose how much time you want to spend on your device, and set a timer on the same device. A good starting point is to allow yourself 30 minutes - 1 hour of "leisure" time a day. Then, when the timer goes off, walk away. Do something else, and commit to not getting sucked in again anymore that day.
4. The 30 Minute Rule
Make a pact with yourself: the first 30 minutes when you awake and the last 30 minutes before bedtime, don’t touch any technology. Use a real alarm clock to wake yourself up (I found one available for $3.88 at the store). That way, the first thing you see when you awake is not a screen. Use your morning to gather your intentions for the day and to begin a morning routine without a screen. Use the 30 minutes before bedtime to connect with yourself, read, and end the day in a peaceful way. Looking at screens right before bedtime has also been proven to cause a decline in health due to diminished sleep quality. Fill the "bookends" of your days with purpose, not screens.
5. Initiate Face to Face Conversation
Work toward choosing people over the device. Yes, there'll be times when it's tricky or nearly impossibly to choose between your smart phone or laptop and paying attention to your loved one, friend, or even a stranger. But try to use your devices more on your own time rather than during the time you share with others. Instead, go up to people. Initiate face to face conversation. Especially in the "margin" time as mentioned before - for example, standing in line for coffee or food, or waiting for the next part of your day in a public place. Speak to the strangers next to you; you never know how far a simple "hello" and smile can go. Make connections and better the world with your life and your attention. Don't be 50% present in the real world and 50% present in the online world. Be present here, now. Cultivate real world relationships. Remember your purpose.