Studies show that we look at our electronic devices about 215 times a day, and most of us are now oblivious to that behavior, which is wasting approximately 3 hours a week. It is almost like our devices are now controlling our lives and actions. Here are seven ways you can take control of your electronic devices.
Monitor Your Screen Time
Monitoring your screen time will bring you awareness of how much time you spend on social media. You can download an app that will calculate that for your phone. Your goal will be to see a reduction in screen time for a month.
Practice Emotional Awareness
Practicing emotional awareness means paying attention to your emotions while looking at social media. Every time you catch yourself feeling down. Take a screen time timeout of one minute. During that minute, focus on your breathing. Take six deep breaths every time you have a negative emotion.
Clean Up Your Social Media
On a weekly basis, clean your social media account by unfollowing anyone who posts something that doesn’t bring you a positive experience. This cleanse will improve your experience when you are on social media.
Implement a Bedtime Routine
Start a new bedtime routine and turn off all devices from 30 minutes to an hour before bed. That new routine will increase the quality of your sleep.
Plan Offline Time
Have a time range when you choose to unplug. That could be in the morning before going to work, during meals or an hour before bed. Dedicate that time to activities that don’t require you to be in front of a screen. Also, you can choose a whole day instead of a time range. A bit like Meatless Monday, you could have a Tech-Free Tuesday.
Tech-Free Zone
Remove all devices from your bedroom and get an alarm clock. Make a point of charging your phone outside your bedroom at night and try not to bring your devices in the bedroom.
Meditate
Meditation is not about stopping yourself from doing something; it is more about observing what is happening within you and around you. A simple way to meditate is to sit down and focus on a sound in the room. That sound can be a fan or a refrigerator. When you catch yourself drifting from that focus, bring your awareness back to the music. You can do that for 15 minutes at a time daily.
