The Right Way To Take A Break From Your Phone
Start writing a post
Student Life

The Right Way To Take A Break From Your Phone

Separate yourself from your devices without it crushing your life

219
The Right Way To Take A Break From Your Phone
Pexels

When you think of the single possession you own that you would risk anything for or couldn't live without, take into consideration how vastly different this question must appear to each individual. Think about how many possessions the average 20 year old must have collected over their lives from the people that they've known and places they have traveled to, and yet 84% of people would choose their phones over anything else.

If this doesn't sound like a problem to you, maybe the accompanying higher risk of mental health due to phone addiction should. Time spent on social media, or even just googling when Prince Harry was born, is time that you are not spending speaking to others and forming meaningful connections, or daring to be present for your own thoughts and listening to your worries.

The good news is that taking time away from your phone does not mean you have to become a hermit, in fact, there are several ways for you to do it, of which two will be discussed here. Ease yourself into a phone detox with the right preparedness and come out feeling happier and more focused.

The easiest way to introduce a radical new habit can be accomplished by limiting your smart phone usage for a single, 24 hour period. This is a period where you designate I-cannot-be-on-my-phone time and you need to be clear that it's not "I don't want to be on my phone" it's "I cannot be on my phone." And you don't have to lose friends over it, just try to tell them, or any professors or bosses, in advance.

Obviously, people have jobs, especially during the summer, that they need to keep up with. However, this can be as simple as putting your phone on silent and left in a coat pocket that you leave by the door. If you're looking at a desktop all day, use that instead of scrolling through your messages or checking your personal email every 6 seconds.

On the other hand of this approach, you can merely put time aside each day where you don't look at your phone. Either 45 minutes or 3 hours, the duration itself is minimal here. This ensures no one's SnapChat score is broken or an important work update is missed.

It's a habit like any other and can be at a fixed time every day, like 2 pm to 4 pm, or move your charger slightly farther away when you settle in for bed to help you fall asleep. The question becomes at this point what your motivations are for committing yourself to this significant habit adjustment.

This is where the importance of this commitment comes it, and it's definitely a worthy habit that will show benefits over a long period. Maybe we should have paid attention when Steve Jobs put restrictions on the screen time his kids were exposed to as early back as the iPad's release in 2010.

It comes down to your ability to monotask, covered in this New York Times article in 2016, that starts off by daring you to read the entire article without scrolling out or losing focus for one second (I know not to be so bold, it's called baby steps people). Even if "monotasking" isn't a word that catches on, it still speaks to our inability to allow one thing to hold all of our attention for more than a few seconds or sentences. How do you think this may be affecting your day-to-day life?

Obviously, you can't just kick your phone to the curb forever, especially as the physical world and the digital world become more intertwined, but you can still relieve some stress in your life by keeping your phone away from you, get better sleep, and even (weird fact). Maybe something to try after the semester ends. At the end of the day, does anything live or die solely based on your immediacy to respond to a text or post a tweet every 11 minutes?

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

53670
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

34533
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

956999
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

181698
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments