How to Stay Off of Your Phone

Being away from your phone isn’t easy. There’s always a notification to check, an app to open, or an email to read. Still, if you feel like you’ve been using it too much lately, we’ve got you covered. We at 5-Minute Crafts will show you how you can reduce your screen time significantly.

Disclaimer: This article doesn’t have instructions in it, as the settings can vary from device to device.

1. Turn its screen black and white

Doing this can make the day-to-day distractions on your phone less attractive. Messaging someone won’t be as fun, and regular apps might lose their spark. It can be considered a more minimalist approach to using your phone too.

2. Turn off your notifications

Resisting the urge to check a notification can be quite hard. With that in mind, we should keep ours off whenever possible, or only have them on if necessary.

3. Move your distracting apps away

The best way to avoid temptation is to eliminate whatever’s causing it. There’s no need to be drastic and completely uninstall your apps, though. Simply move them to one specific folder that you’ll know not to check.

4. Set your phone aside one day a week

This one’s simple. Pick one specific day out of the week, and put your phone away (Saturdays and Sundays are the ones people often pick). Afterward, simply try and make it a habit, and your phone usage might go down a notch.

5. Put it on silent

Using your phone’s silent mode option works great if you’re only in need of a few hours away from your phone.

Note: If you also want to keep calls coming through or important notifications, it might be possible that your phone has that option.

6. Countdown from 5

If you’re feeling an urge to look at your phone when you think you shouldn’t simply count down from 5. Pair your breathing with your counting, and exhale every time you think of a number, tap your index finger twice on an object that’s nearby. Afterward, count down from 5 again. Repeat whenever you feel the urge to grab your phone.