Put Down Your Phone, Pick Up Life

I know it sounds a little corny, but it’s so true!

Lately, I have been “cutting back” on sitting around mindlessly on my phone. I’ve always been aware how disgusting my screen time is, even on productive days, but when I really just leave my phone in my room all day, I become truly able to see how long 24 hours actually are.

You can accomplish so much by leaving your phone out of sight. Summer is the perfect time to start this detox. Instead of scrolling through social media, go sit outside and take in some fresh air— enjoy the beautiful earth that God created.

Here are seven ways to limit your phone use:

1.Only use phone for "essential" purposes.

This one is pretty straightforward. "Essential" being: texting family, checking the weather, making an important Google search, or using the camera!

2.Post and leave.

There's not much harm in posting on social media-- it takes around an average of 30 seconds to make a post on Instagram, maybe 45 for an Instagram story. That is no big deal! It is the endless cycle of mostly toxic and fake stories you watch that manipulates the way you live your life by spending hours on end doing that. When you make a post, exit the app and put down your phone for a bit.

3.Don’t check your phone in the morning or before you sleep at night.

This is strictly about setting the tone for your life. Aside from the science of blue light disrupting sleep ability, looking at your phone like it is part of your breath affects your mental health and ability to be productive. Example-- if you spent the last 30 minutes before you shut your eyes at night admiring how great of a life everyone seems to have after a long day of working your 9-5, what kind of tone does that set for your night's sleep? Also, the first thing you should wake up to in the morning is the sun and a glass of water-- not your best friend's wild Snapchat story from last night or the nonexistent text from the guy you have been dying to talk to but doesn't appreciate your existence.

4.Silence. those. notifications.

I promise you, the less your phone lights up, the less you will instinctively want to check it. Although Apple is a large contributor to the low attention span my generation has and overall horrible mental health, they have now attempted to offer solutions (to the problems they themselves created) by offering different "Do Not Disturb" settings-- wow, how kind are they?! Ignore my sarcasm, I think you should 100% take advantage of that and find settings that allow you to not receive any texts or calls that aren't from family.

5.Have phone hours.

Like a chore chart or daily planner, sometimes we need a little routine in our life. If you really feel the dire need to fall victim to the daze of the Instagram explore page, feel free, but set limits. Setting app limits programmed into my phone never work for me because I just wind up typing in my passcode to override it, but setting limits with myself typically works. For example, only allow your non essential phone usage for up to 2 hours a day. Leave your phone in a different room until that time you allotted for yourself.

6.Think about all the life you are missing.

When yourself getting lost in the trap of social media remind yourself that it does not matter what your circumstance is, there is something you can do off of your phone. If you have time to sit on your phone, you have time to be doing something-- whether it's working, learning a new skill, helping out someone else, etc. Some of these apps are addicting, I know, but you need to get addicted to the thought of life, not what the next viral TikTok trend is going to be.

7. Phase it out of your life.

Aside from every possible thing that is happening wrong in society today, we have social media. If anything, it escalates those issues making them worse or creates new issues to cover up real life problems. Unfortunately, phones have become more of a central part of society, more than God or using manners. I could write a 30 page thesis on how the traditional values lost because of the increase in social media presence is destroying our society at a more rapid pace-- but that is for another time. What truly matters in our everyday lives is physical connection, genuine interaction, and authentic experiences. Understanding that will make it easier to use your phone in healthier amounts.

Truthfully, if I didn’t need my phone to communicate with people for school, work, etc or for the quick access to a quality camera, I would ditch my iPhone for a flip phone in one second. Like I eluded to throughout this post, it really is upsetting to see our already degrading society turn towards something that only will make it worse. We are stuck in a fake world full of evil. We are wasting our life away bowing down to it, almost worshipping this behavior. Thankfully, there are ways to change that and the first step in doing so is by taking action in our own lives.

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

-Lexi

Follow me on Instagram: @Lexi_Vincento & @Unlimited.Daylight