Nomophobia – 8 ways to beat it

In working with a really focused, action-oriented client recently, we again encountered the invasiveness of our friend the cell phone. Because he doesn’t have time to go scrolling through internet articles on how to ditch the addiction, I thought I’d do some of the work for him, and here it is;

There is a lot of ‘research’ out there around cell phone usage and there is no doubt that it has made our lives a lot easier on many levels, and compromised our attention and connection on the flip side. Here’s some of that scary data to remind you;

– The typical cell phone user touches his or her phone 2,617 times every day. 2,617 times!
– Most people, on average, spend 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phones each day.
– Half of all phone pickups happen within 3 minutes of a previous one.

I’ve scanned some of the articles and capture a list of possible new habits you might consider to help you manage it;

– don’t charge your phone next to your bed at night. Set it outside of the bedroom and get a cheap alarm clock! (Where you keep your phone is also important. Studies have shown that people who don’t charge their phones in their bedrooms are significantly happier than those who do.)

– change your screen lock to ask a question so that every time you unlock your phone it says: “What for? Why now?”

– put a hair band around your phone when you don’t wish to use it. It enables you to answer calls but makes texting/scrolling very frustrating!

– looking at all your apps; keep the ones that spark joy and contribute to healthy habits and tossing those that don’t.
– consider phone free spaces or phone free times eg waking routine/retiring routine/meal times
– one day a week ‘phone free day’. In our house it’s a Sunday, but you might choose another day?

– Proximity is destiny, right? When you sit on the couch, make sure the phone is far away and a book is within reach. So now you’re not just gritting your teeth trying to not check your phone. You’re substituting a good habit for the bad one.

– leave the house with your battery purposely on 5%…then you’ll pay attention to the world : )

Let me know what appeals to you and which strategies offer you some success?