Want To Reduce Phone Screen Time? Try These 6 Tips

The effects of adult use of electronic devices on health need further research. We can however be assured that adults frequently stare at screens like those on our cellphones, TVs, laptops, etc. We are aware that overdoing anything that strains your eyes is bad for your health. In addition to making it difficult to fall asleep, prolonged screen time can also cause headaches, and neck, shoulder, and back pain. 

Most of us have professions that demand us to spend eight hours or more every day in front of screens. Fortunately, if screen time is negatively affecting your health and well-being, there are strategies to reduce it or its impact. In this article, we discuss strategies through which you can lower your screen time and make it less harmful. 

Here's how you can lower your phone screen time:

1. Track your phone usage 

Monitor the amount of time you actually spend staring at your phone.  There are several tools available to help you with this. After that, you may utilise these details and the answers to establish deadlines. For instance, you may instruct your phone to switch off a certain app after two hours of use if you've realised you're using it excessively.

2. Keep your phone out of the bedroom

Most of us use our phones as alarms. Most of us also use our phones as the last activity before we go to bed. This exposure to blue light (light that exudes from screens and is extremely harmful to our eyes) before and after bedtime can cause detrimental harm to our eyes. Make a conscious effort to keep your phone outside your room. This will also improve your quality of sleep.

3. Occasionally distance your phone physically 

This advice might only be realistic during holidays or weekends as most of us need to be available on our phones for work-related matters. However, try to keep your phone on silent or switched off aside for a few hours. Start by doing this on a weekend morning to lunchtime. Slowly increase the hours you keep your phone away from you. This will help remove unnecessary dependency you might have on your phone.

4. Don't use your phone while eating

It could be appealing to use your mealtimes to catch up on social media and other things on your phones. However, by putting away the screen during these pauses, you will allow your eyes a break and also probably also enjoy your food more. 

5. Set alarms and timers

For many individuals, keeping up with their social media accounts is enjoyable and crucial for maintaining their social position. For many people, these networks may also be a significant waste of time. If you like Facebook, Instagram, or community boards, try to set a daily time limit for yourself. The following step is to progressively cut back on this, especially on days when you use your screen a lot for other reasons.

6. Engage in other activities 

To avoid boredom, many of us check our Facebook and Instagram accounts. The next time you have some free time or want to mindlessly surf through social media, consider picking up a book, engaging in some creative work, or going for a stroll. Talking to a friend on a phone call may be better than scrolling through your feed.

Follow these tips to ensure your phone screen time stays in check. 

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.