LIFE

Picture this: You just got home from school and sat down to check Instagram for 15 minutes. One hour later, you're down the TikTok rabbit hole watching Kim and North (don't worry—we've all been there). It's true that screens take up so much of our time, but if you're trying to be less addicted to your phone, we've got some tips and tricks to cut down on the doom scrolling.

Set your screen to black and white

We know your widgets and color-coded app folders look *so* nice, but what if we told you those bright notification badges were purposely designed to keep you on your phone? By setting your phone to black and white (also known as grayscale), you can make your screen look a lot more boring. This will make your apps less enticing and encourage you to put your phone down more often. 

Place time limits on certain apps

Time limits are one simple way to directly affect (and cut down on) your screen time. If you're on an iPhone, you can do this in Settings, but there are also numerous apps for iPhones and Androids that place usage limits on apps. So, if you find yourself spending hours on Snapchat or Instagram, place a limit on those apps that only allow you to use them for thirty minutes daily.

Silence your notifications

Putting your phone on Do Not Disturb may cause you to miss that very important call from mom. But manually turning off notifications for specific apps might help. Similar to other addictions, phone addictions are the result of a dopamine hit you get when endlessly scrolling. These feelings of happiness are triggered when someone likes your TikTok or sends you a Snapchat video. Silencing notifications for likes, comments, messages, etc. will make you less likely to check those apps and, ultimately, decrease your screen time. 

Have your lock screen hold you accountable

The first thing we see when we turn on our phones? Our screensaver. So why not make it something that will deter us? Setting your lock screen to anything from a big X to a quote reading "Stop looking at your phone" will immediately remind you to be more mindful when you pick up your device out of habit.

Check out these articles that'll inspire you to *not* look at your phone:
💗 Here are 5 ways to live more intentionally
💗 Try these 5-minute self-care ideas to destress during a busy week
💗 Let's get manifesting

Share your tips to break that phone addiction with us on Twitter @girlslifemag (and then put that phone down)!

Header image: @mel.amartinez
All GIFs via GIPHY

by Hannah Kennedy | 2/7/2023