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5 Time Management Strategies to Help You Spend Less Time on Your Phone
How often do you hear yourself saying, "I don't have enough time!"?
The truth is, we have all the time we need—we simply prioritize other activities over what may need to be done. And if we take an honest look at where our time goes, we're likely to find way too much time spent on our phones.
The time you spend on your phone is time that's not spent getting your job done well, making memories with your family, or otherwise living your best life.
It is, unfortunately, all too easy to take "just a minute" to scroll through Instagram or watch "one quick video," but soon enough, an hour or more has passed. Phone addiction is a genuine concern in today's society, and putting your phone down is becoming increasingly difficult.
So if you're here wondering how to spend less time on your phone, we have a few time management strategies for you to try.
How to Spend Less Time on Your Phone:
1) Check Your Screen Time
It may sound cliché, but the first step towards breaking bad habits is acknowledging you have a problem. Whether you think you spend too much time on your phone or not, the truth is in your screen time.
A great way to see how much time you're wasting is by looking at your phone's screen time tracker. If you have an iPhone, learn how to use the Screen Time App and set limits on specific apps. The Digital Wellbeing App allows you to do the same thing if you have an Android device.
This is a firsthand understanding of how much time you devote to non-productive activities. You can break this down in your settings to see which applications are taking up most of your time, then decide to either set limits or delete social media apps altogether.
Another option is to move those time-sucking apps from your phone's home screen to make it less convenient to tap on those icons.
2) Throw Your Phone in the Ocean
Just kidding, but there are better ways to spend your free time—such as surfing or enjoying a sunset at the beach—that we miss out on when we're glued to our phones.
The SLNT Phone Detox Program is a practical FREE first step in understanding how to work with technology. You'll also discover how great it feels to distance yourself from your phone.
Our Phone Detox Program gives you the resources to complete a seven-day program. During those life-changing seven days, you'll reassess your connection to your phone, increase your efficiency and inventiveness, and get more joy out of life!
Each day has its own idea, tool, and action to perform. The ultimate goal is to stay away from your phone for an entire day, and we'll be there to guide you through the whole process.
3) Use time management apps
A huge key to implementing effective time management strategies is using technology to your advantage. Time management tools can help you streamline your project management goals, manage your time, and focus on essential tasks.
One productivity app we love is Freedom. This free application is the modern-day parental hiding spot. With downloadable versions for all of your devices, you can block websites and applications during set times of the day to focus on tasks without distractions from the websites and apps you select.
Another excellent app that helps with time blocking and captures how much time you spend on specific tasks is Clockfy. This time-tracking app can track anything from how much time you spent on a work project to how long it took to complete a school assignment and anything between.
If you're a freelancer needing a way to track your time and invoice clients, Clockify can do that, too. Even if you're not getting a paying job done, knowing you're "on the clock" can help you stay focused on one task before switching to another or getting distracted on your phone.
4) Educate Yourself
There are many books available on the topic of productivity. One of our favorites was written by a friend of SLNT that dives deep into how our efforts to "multitask" result in a loss of productivity. In his book, The Twelve Monotasks: Do One Thing at a Time to Do Everything Better, Thatcher Wine helps us reclaim our attention, boost productivity, and reduce stress.
Reading a book on the topic of being productive might seem like an obscure time management strategy, but you'll be hard-pressed to read a book like this and NOT feel inspired to make some serious changes in your time management system.
(This is not a paid mention; we just like supporting people and initiatives helping to create barriers around excessive device use. We're also fans of The Art of Impossible by Steven Kotler.)
5) Silence Your Phone in a Faraday Bag
Set healthy boundaries with your phone and choose when to put your device away. Placing your phone in a SLNT phone bag means receiving phone calls, texts, or any other tempting notifications is impossible.
With your device physically secured in a Faraday Sleeve, you can take care of any task or enjoy the sense of freedom that comes with putting your phone down and walking away. You can also rest assured that, as long as your phone is in that bag, your location cannot be tracked, and hackers can't access your device.
RELATED TOPIC: 10 Reasons Why You Need a Faraday Bag for Your Smartphone