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One crucial research showed that Americans spend around twelve hours daily on media platforms. Since this research was released before the COVID-19 pandemic, numbers have probably gone up. Our lives revolve around screens of all kinds. It is consciously hard not to look at or avoid them because they encircle us whether we like them or not.
For most people, a large part of the day requires individuals to look at a screen. This habit can cause eye damage and make us feel dried up and easily irritated. Our phones, laptops, TVs, and tablets have become our worst rituals, and we can’t live without these devices anymore. We need to learn not to depend on them because we are distancing ourselves from reality and desocializing.
Like most college students, you probably spend your free time watching videos online, texting, and scrolling through different platforms. Time passes by, and you don’t even realize it. You suddenly feel overwhelmed because you have so much work and little time to complete. If this happens to you, don’t panic! Consider visiting the best paper writing service that will do an outstanding job for you and help you hand over flawless assignments. With this opportunity, you can take a break, relax, and focus on yourself.
You have probably caught yourself numerous times looking at your mobile phone for hours. After acknowledging how many hours you spent doing nothing, a feeling of depletion and sadness probably appeared. If you want to change this bad habit and don’t know how – don’t panic! We have rounded up five excellent tips to help you reduce screen moments and invest them in something else.
1. Eat Your Meals Without a Screen
It is a pretty classic scenario to associate dinner with TV time. Americans invented the TV dinner. This trend expanded to laptops, computers, and mobile phones. When you are in a restaurant, you will occupy yourself with a device while waiting for the food to arrive at your table.
People like to combine entertainment and eating. The cause might be a habit of snacking in front of the TV. If that was the case – then you know the root of your problem. This activity gives us double dopamine hits since eating and watching screens release happy chemicals in our brains. Try to resist this urge and just pay attention to your food. Put your phone away and eat mindfully.
2. Set Limits
Limiting screen moments can be a great way of balancing online habits. You can decide when and how long you will spend your time online. You can have particular limitations and use a different schedule each week.
You can quickly know if you disburse too much time in front of the screen – just think about your wellness and health. You should have a moment for yourself and your friends. Learning and spending hours with family should be a priority. Screen time isn't a big problem if you get enough sleep and exercise.
On the other hand, if devices get in your way of accomplishing all of the above, make sure you limit your time. You don’t need to be extreme; just set a specific time of the week when you won't be using any tech devices. You can try installing apps to limit your time. This technique will help you make a difference and motivate you for other activities.
3. Learn to Cope With Boredom
Checking your devices every five minutes is the worst way to cope with boredom. Those five minutes turn real quick into hours. You can’t treat lethargy like that. There are many other solutions and ideas on how to deal with it.
Consider trying out new hobbies or activities. Join a club or hobby group. That’s a great way to start since you will encourage yourself to meet new people, make new friends and learn how to converse in person and not online.
When you feel boredom kicking in, communicate with people. It is okay to express yourself. Take your time to identify the cause of it and try to find innovative solutions.
4. Turn off Notifications
Social media is created to hijack our awareness and lure us into spending as much time as possible on them. As soon as we get a notification, our brain dismisses dopamine that makes us happy. Since our brain craves dopamine, we can’t stop looking at our screen and finding a way to get that boost.
Notifications are increasing our stress and anxiety levels. If you don’t catch up on them, you might feel like you are falling behind. Other things that can make you feel unconcentrated and exhausted are the beeps and moving banners. Try doing what is best for you and turn them off if you want to reduce your screen time and feel more relaxed.
5. Switch Your Phone off at Night
We have reached a point in our lives where we rely only on screens and their benefit to our daily routine. Switching your phone at night can do many beneficial things at once: it will reduce your radiation exposure, add to your battery life and reduce energy consumption. In addition, you will feel less stressed and mentally more independent from constant online attention.
Intense blue light emitted from the screen of our device will make our brain stay in a state of wakefulness, which is a great way to develop sleeping problems. Before sleep, consider leaving your phone in another room or shutting it off completely. You will feel more relaxed and happy in the morning.
You can try giving yourself a moment each night before going to sleep. You can try relaxing, listening to some music, reading a book, or taking a few minutes to meditate. The morning will become easier for you and more productive.
In Conclusion
Even if not all screen time is spent uselessly on social media and scrolling, this action’s dangerous side can make us unhappy, frustrated, and dried up. This activity can determine your health.
Try being more conscious of how often you use your devices and how frequently you pull them out to check on something unimportant. In the moments when you are trying to kill time, stop using your appliances and find a hobby that will help you overcome this habit. If this doesn’t help, you can always turn to some apps that will help you control and limit your screen time.
