DEVELOPMENT the digital world , and putting your phone away physically is a significant step towards using your phone less . ‘ Out of sight , out of mind ’ might be a saying of old but it is a very effective method to begin transitioning from the mindset of ‘ I need my phone all the time ’ to ‘ I don ’ t need my phone ’.
I began cutting down on my own phone use by physically leaving my phone in another room – could you try that ? It was hard in the beginning . I ’ d be sure my phone was somewhere else but then I ’ d touch my hip and my phone would be tucked away in my pocket . I didn ’ t even remember picking it up … You might not either ! But that ’ s okay .
Mealtimes are a good time to keep phones away from the table and you ’ ll get a better workout if you don ’ t take your phone to the gym . Designate some phone-free times and stick to them .
The next step Eventually you ’ ll get to a point where you ’ re using your phone less . But those essential apps can draw you back in , so :
w Disable the push notifications ; the pop-ups . w Turn your sound off , other than the ring tone for calls ( it ’ s actually impolite to play noise from your phone in the presence of others and can really annoy them , even if they don ’ t say anything ).
What about my alarm clock in the morning I hear you ask ? Well , decommission your phone ! Keep it away from your bed at night and buy a new clock that is just a clock – this can be done cheaply . This will stop the light emitted from your phone from disrupting your sleep cycle and you ’ ll no longer be reading stressful messenger conversations before bed .
Another way to make your phone less addictive ( and less casino-ish ) is to change the setting to grayscale so you aren ’ t attracted to those bright colours .
And if there are too many group chats on your phone , leave them – and forgive others if they do the same . There is no shame in decluttering your digital life .
Due to the sheer pace that digital technology is continuing to develop , it is very important that we seek to understand the new technologies that we are using as they evolve and what they should or should not be used for . This understanding will set us in good stead to be able to establish rules that we can apply to our phone use so that we can use our devices comfortably , be prepared for how they may affect ourselves and others and have the confidence and the tools to allow them to affect us less . S
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THE EXPERT
Louisa Guise is a communication professional and author of How to Leave a Group Chat , a book about how to better understand and balance the relationship between you and your smartphone .
Summer Issue 2025 | Executive PA 55