There are many addictions in the world, and one that just about all of us have, is an addiction to our phones. We wake up with/by it. We have it in our pocket, on our desk, on the dinner table, or in our hand all day, every day. It’s definitely a problem.

Just to give you some proof, here are some stats from TechJury.

Most mobile phone users check their phones up to 63 times daily.
Americans spend an average screen time of 5.4 hours on their mobile phones daily.
There will be over 311.53 million smartphone users in America by 2025.
Social media is responsible for 2 hours and 24 minutes of global internet time spent online by an average user daily.
13% of millennials spend over 12 hours on their phones daily.
Baby Boomers spend 5 hours using their phones.
Millennials spend 48 minutes texting every day.

Honestly, some of those numbers seem a little low to me based on what I’ve witnessed, but I’ll take their word for it.

Here on the GetUp Crew, Ramiro, Melissa, Leroy, and I decided that we’re going to participate in the Global Day of Unplugging. What is that? Well according to NationalToday, “It is a 24 hour period – running from sundown to sundown which starts on March 3. Take this day to carve out precious time to unplug, relax, reflect, be active, visit the outdoors, and connect with loved ones.”

We decided to take a baby step and just unplug from social media for the 24 hours. Maybe next year we’ll do the whole phone. Until then, here are 6 Surfire Tips To Help Break The Addiction.

• There's an app for that

  I remember hearing about apps that can help you when you’re temped to kill time on your phone. I was taking a writing course, and other writers talked about apps they used that you could use to schedule a shutdown of anything on your phone, computer, or tablet that would distract you.

  Here’s the one that I just found that I’m going to use for the challenge. It’s the AppBlock app. It does have in-app purchases, but you can get a free trial. Don’t forget to cancel before those 10 days if you don’t want to keep it. You can schedule a certain time to shut down specific apps or periods of time. You can even just do a “quick block” by opening the app, picking the amount of time and hitting start.

  ‎AppBlock - Block Apps & Webs

  ‎BENEFITS - 32% less screen time in the first week - 95% of AppBlock users safes at least 2 hours every day - 94% are more productive Scrolling all day? Do you need help controlling your Screen Time? AppBlock is here to help you keep distractions at bay.

• Schedule activities that you don't need your phone for

  Go to a movie, do some arts & crafts projects, put a puzzle together, read a book, go to the gym, try a new recipe. The possibilities are endless. If you schedule things into your day to keep you busy, you’ll be more likely to stop the endless scrolling. At least for a little while.

  That time I tried to paint. I guess this is cheating a little because I used my tablet for the lesson, but I’ll give myself a pass.

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  A post shared by Pebbles (@pebblesboston)

   

• Do it together

  One of the best ways to do this is by finding friends and family who will do it with you. Having other people who know what your going through and to encourage you and hold you accountable is one of the best things you can do.

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  A post shared by Global Day of Unplugging (@globaldayofunplugging)

• Disable notifications

   

   

  Here’s a great tip from LifeHack. “It’s tempting to check our phones every time we get a notification so try turning them off and dedicate time later to check up on anything important. This will seriously reduce the amount you needlessly check things that probably aren’t even important.”

  10 Reasons You Should Turn Off Notifications

  Get back control over your phone and life by turning off notifications. After these 10 reasons you will turn them off for sure!

• Do a digital detox

  A lot of us do things to detox our bodies, but detoxing your mind can help you have better digital habits. There are definitely different ways to detox from technology that don’t mean you have to shut off everything. Baby steps. Here are some tips.

  Five Ways to Do a Digital Detox

  In addiction treatment, we consider detoxification a critical part of Recovery for many patients. People in Recovery can also benefit from a different kind of...

   

• Put your phone on airplane mode

  I get it, you don’t want to completely shut down. What if it’s an emergency right? Come on. We all use this excuse and what keeps us on our phones is rarely an actual emergency. And for those of us who remember life pre-cellphone, we know that life still went on. Even if it was an emergency. Someone was able to get in touch with you.

  Maybe start with putting your phone on airplane mode for an hour or two a day to start. Again, baby steps.

  

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