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It’s The Global Day of Unplugging – 6 Surefire Tips To Help Break The Addiction

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…

Sign that says: No posting, no liking, just living. Coffee cup in the front
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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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

Hand holding a phone that says airplane mode and has the icon of an airplane above itCanva
PebblesWriter
Boston has been waking up to the voice of Pebbles for years. She has always had a deep and strong commitment to the community, donating her time to numerous organizations such as the Girl Scouts, First Book Boston, and more. With a passion for youth literacy, she started the program “Pebbles Reading Rockstars” to encourage kids to read more and develop a love of books. A graduate of Northeastern University, the Wareham native continues to visit classrooms as part of the literacy program. Pebbles likes to write about books, personal stories, good news, and self-care.