How to Stop Checking Phone

 1. Stop and think before picking up your phone

Every time you are about to turn on your phone, take a moment to think about why you are doing this right now. Need to do some work like scanning a document or sending a text to your manager? Then, complete the task and keep your phone away.

But sometimes the reasons for testing your phone are much deeper than you think. For example, I'm not good at communicating and I feel uncomfortable in a large room with people I don't know. Instead of starting a small conversation with someone, I just stared at my phone and pretended to be busy. Realizing this, I decided to attend more meetings in order to improve my communication skills while keeping my phone off the hook.

Here's how to put one together for use with your phone:

"When I hear or want an X, I take my phone to Y so I can Z."

For example, "When I feel lonely, I hold my phone to check Instagram to feel connected to my friends."

Once you find the real reason for checking your phone, it's easy to control yourself. If you feel lonely, you can call your family or talk to a colleague. If you feel lonely, you can take a short walk or read a book. There are so many things to do without looking at the screen!

If you would like to learn how apps become addictive, Nir Eyal reads well.

2. Analyze how you use your phone and set limits

With iOS 12, Apple introduced a Screen Time feature that shows how much time you spend on your phone, which apps you use the most, and how often you hold your device. To view the report, go to Settings> Screen Time. Android users can try the same thing.

If certain apps take up too much of your time, you can set daily limits. When you reach the limit, your iPhone notifies you of it. While the limit is not difficult to ignore, it creates an additional barrier between you and the apps you use the most.

3. Get rid of disruptive applications

Sometimes you can't resist tapping the colorful icon on the home screen. This is often the case with social media games and apps. How can one avoid this temptation? Move all the addictive apps to the second page where it's hard to open them automatically. You can also collect such apps in folders like Games or Social to keep them away from you with a single tap.

My home screen is a place for work, production, and tourism

I don't have a Facebook app on my phone. Instead, I look at the newsfeed on Safari. It's not much easier than the traditional app so I spent very little time there. Also, the Browser tab doesn't load me with notifications. After visiting Facebook, I always try to close its tab on Safari, so I have more work in the future.

I also try not to get too close to my phone after posting anything on social media. It's very tempting to check your post every 5 minutes to see how many likes and comments you already have! For this reason, I rarely post items that involve long conversations. That way my laziness to check and respond to ideas saves me from holding my phone too often 🙂

4. Reduce notifications

When a new app asks if it can send me notifications, I usually say, "No." I only turn on app notifications for messages and emails. If your app has flexible notification options, it's a good idea to play with them. For example, our email client can only inform me about important personal emails and not bother me with default newsletters and messages.

Spark keeps distractions away from my phone

Notification badges are another source of distraction. It's hard not to tap the app icon when you see that red number in it. For this reason, and big, I try to turn off badges where possible.

5. Keep your phone away from reality

It's easy to forget by checking your phone if it is invisible and accessible. After returning home, I simply put the phone in my bag and put it in the cupboard. Nothing bad happens. I will hear an emergency call or notification, and at the same time, I am able to meet many instant wishes to check my phone. Who wants to get up and go to another part of someone's apartment all the time?

The same principle can be applied to work, school, and family dinners. If there is no phone on the table in front of you, it is much easier to focus on the things you need to do, be it finishing a task or talking to your loved ones.