5 Unique Ways to Limit Your Screen Time that You’ve Not Tried Before
Outsmart your smart devices before they consume you.
Hi Friend,
Welcome to the latest edition of Life Hacks.
I hope you’re having a great Wednesday and week so far.
What’s your average screen time usage? Mine was devastating. I averaged about 29 hours a day one and a half years ago. Owing to that, I lost over day a week on screens. I was shocked when Apple send me my screen usage statistics.
I think I was not alone.
We are using more screens now than ever before. Kids are homeschooling while adults are working from home. So, our screen times have skyrocketed.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that we all have a new soulmate — smartphones. Wherever we go, they accompany us; morning walks, dinner table, and even bathroom.
According to an online survey in January 2021, people spend around 3 hours and 15 minutes a day only on phones, excluding their other screen usage.
Isn’t this an alarming situation?
No matter how hard we justify our screen time usage, we can’t deny the fact that we’re losing focus, experiencing less quality sleep, lack of productivity, strained eyes, and let’s keep mental health issues out of this context.
Besides, if the “work from home culture” and “homeschooling” are here to stay or if it’s the “new normal,” we need to find sustainable ways to coexist healthily with technology.
Being a Mechanical Engineer and a writer, I am compelled to use screens. On average, I have to use the computer for at least seven to eight hours, excluding my phone usage and writing assignments.
When my eyesight number increased drastically last year, my optometrist suggested reducing my screen usage if I wanted to prolong my eyesight.
Here’s what I did and have been doing to limit my screen time.
1. Follow the 30–20–10 Rule
Continued exposure to blue light radiating from our cell phones is harmful to retinal cells, causing vision and other eye-related problems. Macular degeneration, cataracts, eye cancer, myopia, and increased eye-pressure build-up are some of the permanently damaging factors to our eyes, as proved by a research study at Harvard.
When I began to suffer from these symptoms, I was scared to lose my vision. So, I started searching for different ways to reduce eye strain.
I found a 30–20–10 rule.
For every thirty minutes of screen time, look around 20 feet away, blink your eyes for about 10 seconds, and then resume work.
This 30–20–10 rule has helped me in many different ways. Not only was I able to reduce my eye-redness, but I was able to prioritize my breaks. Before implementing this technique, I worked for hours together (on screens)without even noticing what was happening around me.
I am sure that the “pause, shift, and stare” technique would help you strengthen your eye muscles and keep them healthy for life.
2. Use a Conventional Approach to Writing
I know most of you would argue with this point. We all have been accustomed to writing our blogs either on the computer or on our phones. But what if I tell you that writing with a pen and paper is more conducive than just cutting screen time.
A research study published in Psychology Today states that:
“Writing with hand has a unique relationship with the brain when it comes to composing new thoughts and ideas.”
I have been following this conventional approach of writing for a while now. I sit down with a pen and paper and get my draft ready for typing.
Also, I have tried the “voice-to-text” approach. After having the whole draft ready, I read it aloud for the artificial intelligence (Google Assistant, Apple, and Speechnotes)to type it for me. Though it takes a bit more time than typing (because of AI not picking up my Indian accent and pronunciations), I have limited my direct involvement with screens.
While using the conventional approach, I have also realized that my productivity has increased. Writing on the computer was time-consuming for me. My blogs used to take up to three-four hours because of other distractions like social media, youtube, Gmail notifications, etc. But with the conventional writing approach, I finish off my drafts in less than two hours.
Experiment with this idea and see the results for yourself.
3. Revolutionalize Your Bedtime Routine
Last year when the pandemic thing happened, my screen activity rocketed during bedtime. With no pressure to wake up early to work, I stretched my evening till 2:00 am. Either I was watching Netflix or scrolling endlessly on social media apps. But then, I began to have sleep issues and red eyes. My eyesight number increased.
So, my optometrist suggested I put away phones before bedtime.
I designed “no-screen time” nights, influenced by Lily Tomlin’s quote:
“If you read a lot of books, you’re considered well-read. But if you watch a lot of TV, you’re not considered well viewed.”
I used to read books before bedtime, but it wasn’t a habit. Even if I read, they were e-books. So, I bought a bunch of hard-bind books to read to replace my e-reading practice. I even followed a fifty-page rule to read before sleep.
Though I had never listened to audiobooks, I considered it as an option.
The Gamechanger App
I came across this amazing app called Bookey
that rejuvenates me with the key insights from any book I like. With this app, I could extract the gist of the book without having to read them from the first page to the last. All I have to do is listen to the thirty-minute audio that’s power-packed with the essential takeaways from the book I select.
It’s a complete gamechanger in the field of audiobooks.
Experimenting with that idea, I realized how fun and exciting audiobooks could be.
Do check out this app once, and I am sure it will blow your mind away!
4. “A Gadget-Free Hour” Every Day
Screen breaks are not only beneficial for your physical and mental health but social health too.
After a busy day, what we really need is to spend some time in solitude or with family/friends. A walk in the park or some light outdoor activity energizes the whole mood.
Regina Brett, an American author, advises:
“Sometimes you have to disconnect to stay connected. Remember the old days when you had eye contact during a conversation? When everyone wasn’t looking down at a device in their hands? We’ve become so focused on that tiny screen that we forget the big picture, the people right in front of us.”
When my family and I realized this mistake, we formed a rule. When everyone’s free from work, we all gather around in the living space to spend time together. We play some boardgame like monopoly, carrom or talk about our day.
If weather permits, we often go for a walk in a park or play soccer in the backyard. It’s a kind of rule to put away our smart devices for at least one hour every day to spend quality time with one another. Though we started with compulsion, we realized it’s cathartic.
By spending more time together, my family and I have bonded firmly by sharing our daily problems.
So, a gadget-free hour is more beneficial than just addressing the screen time issue.
5. “No-Phone Saturday”
Don’t worry; I will not ask you to ditch your phones on the weekend altogether. But for half-day, at least.
I know putting phones away completely is outrageous. It can backfire for most of us. But try with simple things, as I did.
On weekends, all my family members and I have scheduled downtime for screen activity. We use it only to answer calls. Also, we have set some time limits for phone usage, from 10:00 am -12:00 pm and 3:00 pm— 5:00 pm. If someone uses their cell phones other than these times, they are punished with chores.
An excellent idea, isn’t it!
It works even best when you have an eight-year-old kid at home who learns from a tender age.
As Cynthia Crossley, Co-Founder of Habyts, suggests:
“It’s not just about limiting screen time; it’s about teaching kids to develop good habits in real life As well as managing their screen time.”
To keep ourselves busy, we utilize the weekend to bake, clean the house, do laundry, play Monopoly, chess, or go out for biking/hiking in the Banff areas and Kananaskis Country.
Besides, outdoor activities in the woods like hiking and biking gifted me a unique experience. “Though there’s no network, there’s a better connection between myself and nature.”
Trust me, with this change, you won’t even feel the urge to pick up your phones on the weekend.
Last Thoughts
I have kept this list short and precise on purpose. I don’t want you to get glued to your screens for a long time.
These doable techniques will not only limit your screen time but will also work as a digital detox.
Now that you know all my secrets, are you ready for a less screen time challenge?
Thanks a lot for taking the time to read this newsletter; it means the world to me!
Take care, stay safe, and see you next week!
With love,
Darshak
P.S ~ If you missed my last letter, you can find it here.