Confessions of a Recovering Smartphone Addict: 9 Steps to Reduce your Smartphone Usage {6.12}
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How is it that we put so much energy into instilling good habits and routines for our children but are complete hypocrites for our own habits? This is how I felt when a few months into motherhood I was averaging 4-6 hours on my phone every single day. That's a QUARTER of my life! Imagine looking back at your life at the age of 80 and realising you spent 20 of those years on your phone.
I bet you wouldn't remember much more than the most recent few hours of that phone time!
Phone are here to stay and I don't think we should throw them out completely - they're so very useful! But I do know I need to stop being hypocritical in forcing limits on my son's screentime - but not on my own. I prioritise my children's sleep and stress levels - but not my own. I prioritise their wellbeing and happiness by setting sensible and healthy boundaries - but I don't do that for myself.
In this episode I'm coming clean about my smartphone usage and the 9 steps I have been taking to reduce it. I discuss:
What's so bad about smartphones anyway?
How much I was on my phone and how it happened - and the realisation I had that hit me hard
The 9 steps I recommend taking to reduce your phone usage
I didn't mention these in the episode but I have found these books really useful for understanding phones and their detrimental effect:
Johan Hari: Stolen Focus
Cal Newport: Digital Minimalism
Catherine Price: How to Break Up with your Phone
Dr Chatterjee books: The Stress Solution; Happy Mind, Happy Life; Feel Better in 5
Sleep and stress are so important when I work with clients to improve their energy levels, balance their hormones and help them lose weight that I dedicate whole sessions to them, including managing phone and screen usage. I'm developing a new group programme called The Abundant Energy Plan starting in early 2023 that will cover these in separate modules. To be the first to learn when the course is launching, join the waitlist here.
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