Too Much Screen Time?

Hi Healthy Steem. I have to admit that since grade 6 I'm addicted to smartphones, I spent about half my entire life looking to a screen, but recently I've decided to change something.

I'm sure we all know how too much screen time can destroy our relationships and our lives, so I'm going to skip this part where I state the reasons why we should limit our usages to smartphones.

When was the last time you felt genuinely happy? Take your time, close your eyes, and try to relive this moment again.

Now, were you looking to a screen then? I'm pretty sure the answer is no, because we feel the happiest when we are with our beloved people, making memories and "experiencing" life, which is never applicable through a screen.

But, it's difficult to limit our usage, isn't it? Sure it is, and so is any meaningful change in your life to the better, but with those 4 tips you can have a smooth transition into a much healthier life:

Screen-free Zones: The first and most important tip is to get used to never using your phone at certain times of the day, here are some suggestions that I personally try to work on:

• Never use your phone right after you wake up and before you have your breakfast.
• Never use your phone while eating
• Never use your phone in the bathroom (come on guys we all do, nothing to feel embarrassed for)
• Never use the phone right before you sleep.

By getting used to intentionally choose not to use your phone at certain times, it becomes much easier to reduce your screen time.

Engage in Physical Activities: Imagine someone who is working remotely as a programmer for example, how many hours of sitting does he get on a daily basis? This is how sedentary our jobs have become.

That's why we all need to incorporate as many physical activities as we can. To me, it's going to the gym at least 4 days a week and walking every single day for at least 40 minutes. But it's mainly walking, running, working out, swimming that you can do to "experience" life outside of a screen.

Limit Notifications: You're working on something important that you love and suddenly: "Tin Tin" your smartphone says, and now you're automatically thinking about all the endless possibilities this notification can turn out to be; we have been programmed to respond almost instantly to notifications, even if this response is just "checking out" the notification, it kills your attention.

I personally spend a lot of time editing the notification settings for each and every app to make sure the only notifications I receive are worthy of my attention, because often you might find that you were interrupted because a silly application is having a 20% discount for a product you'd never want to buy, and you give up your attention for free.

Schedule Digital Detoxes: There must be some periods in your life where you pretend smarphones were never invented, to me it's probably the weekend. Give yourself a chance to read and lose track of time while reading, or while doing anything else that you love which lets you "experience" real life without being inside of a screen.

Spend time with your friends and family, do something you love, and forget that you have a mobile phone for a while.

These are 4 tips that I personally try to implement in my everyday life, I hope they were helpful in some sort and I wish you a happy and a successful life.