This month we encourage you to try the following.
Weeks 1 & 2: Observe your phone use and habits. Notice what feelings your habits leave you with. At the end of each day write down a few quick notes about your phone use.
Here are a few tips to observing your phone habits:
Do you pick up your phone first thing in the morning and last thing before bed to check messages, social media, news?
Do you get notices on your computer from your phone and get pulled from focused work to attend to phone communications?
Do you have periods during the day when you’re away from your phone?
Do you go to bed with your phone?
Do you have conversations with people in person while also being on your phone?
Do you watch TV / movies and stay on your phone?
Do you leave your phone next to you when eating meals? Are you on your phone when eating meals?
Do you tune your partner or children out often because you’re on your phone?
Do you get irritable or snappy with people when they interrupt your phone use?
Do you check your phone often out of habit?
After 2 weeks - Ask yourself if you are happy with your telephone relationship. If you are, change nothing but continue to observe and check in with your usage. You want to feel in control of your usage so be sure to notice any fear, anxiety, anger, or lack of impulse control that comes with your phone use. If you have close friends or family, ask them what they think of your phone use. Listen openly.
If you’re not feeling great about your phone use read on:
Weeks 3 & 4: Note the insights about your phone use and habits that don’t leave you feeling neutral or giving you positive vibes.
Set an action plan.
For example, if you find yourself feeling the anxious need to respond to people via text, during weeks 3 & 4 purposely wait 60 minutes (or more… gasp, maybe even a full 24-hours) before responding to messages that are not critical. Notice if you want to give an excuse when you do reply… try not to.
Kicker, when you initiate communication, for at least half of your texts, switch them to a phone call.
If you have a long list of changes you want to make, pick one thing to work on each week until you have the phone usage you are in control of and uplifted by.
