When I took these strategies, I finally found my life.

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Editor’s note: Hey, look up and see, are you next to the “low-headed” who stare down at the phone like you? Whether you are sitting or walking, everyone is in the same position. Even when lying down, the eyes still can’t leave the phone. I clearly know that interruptions in work will affect efficiency. Brushing the phone before going to bed will affect vision and sleep quality. If you want to see it, you already have symptoms of cell phone addiction. You will say, yes, I know, but I can’t change it. If you really have a heart, best-selling author Ryan Holiday offers a radical treatment that you can practice. Originally published on Medium, titled: A Radical Guide to Spending Less Time on Your Phone

Hate yourself can't leave the phone? You need mobile addiction

Extended reading:

It is there: in your pocket. On the desktop. On the cup holder of the car.

You want to use it. Grab it to ease the discomfort or boredom. Maybe you can go to the news instead of looking at the blank screen and try hard to knock out a word. When you can see something new on Instagram, why bother with your other half? “Oh, sorry guys, I can’t play now – I have to go back to this email first.”

Our mobile phone hasIt has become like this. The portal that escapes from reality and the burden of unloading. I still remember the situation when I first got the BlackBerry. It was an exciting and surprisingly moving moment. Not because of technology, but because of what it means: It means that someone in my work thinks that I am important and that it is important to have a mobile phone like this.

However, over the years, that kind of pride has gradually disappeared. Yes, my mobile phone once liberated me – I can see the mail without going home, which means I can spend more time doing things – but in the end it becomes a burden that drags me into the water. It didn’t make me work better, but it started to stop me from entering Cal Newport’s so-called “deep work” state – a special, focused, creative time. It didn’t help me find fun, but it made me very painful.

So I have been thinking about how to use my mobile phone less during this time. See how you can enjoy the benefits of technology and avoid those negative things.

If you are also looking for this approach, the strategies listed in this article may be helpful. Some of these methods are easy to do. Some will be more difficult, and you may think that some of them are simply nonsense. Maybe. But effective.

Turn off all reminders

My lock screen is almost blank. This is not because nothing happened or no one needs me. That’s because I ran into the phone’s regular settings and turned off all reminders by default, except for SMS and emergency reminders. (During the Texas, there will be floods and tornadoes from time to time.) Even if I unlock my phone, I can’t see any red dots that promptly remind me of how many messages or notifications I missed. I don’t need Strava to tell me that I need to see Strava. I absolutely don’t allow anything to make any noise or hum. (I’m even connected to SMS vibrations.) No reminders mean fewer things to look at, and FOMO (fear of missing) will be much less.

Determining when you can contact them

I made the best decision a few years ago, that is, the way others get in touch with me is up to me. Someone emails, someone texts, someone calls, someone through WhatsApp, Snapchat, Messenger, Twitter, and Instagram DM, LinkedIn messages, Slack, Telegram, and a long list of names. No wonder these people will be overwhelmed.

I basically limit my contact to three types: you can text, email or call me. Email is the contact method for daily work. SMS is for family and friends. When my phone rings, usually these two peopleThere are important things in it to find me. As a result, I no longer have to go to see more than 20 apps and check 50 emails from time to time, because I know that everything that really matters will come from those three channels.

Sleep separate from your phone

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse very famous, because he always gave young staff of some old-fashioned alarm clock – not because he wants to ensure that the group of people to work on time, but because they are so There is no excuse to share the bed with the mobile phone. If your alarm clock is not an appp, your mobile phone can be placed in another room. If your mobile phone is in another room, you can’t pick it up from time to time.

This means you won’t know if you have received a text message or email. This means you don’t always want to brush your circle of friends. This means you have to lie in bed and start thinking or reading a book, even sleeping at the time you should sleep.

Start a new day without watching your phone

about six months ago, I was asked to habits app Spar above challenge, the challenge is to project at least 10 minutes after waking up are not touch the phone. I have been sleeping separately from my mobile phone for many years, but the first thing I wake up every day is still to get in touch with it.

This challenge is more exciting – as long as I fail, I have to contribute $10. But what really appeals to me means that I can focus on one thing, that is to stay with my son. Soon, I began to challenge myself, extending the time to 30 minutes, then 45 minutes, followed by an hour. Now, sometimes I have to write in the morning, I may not touch the phone until lunch. In those days, I was happier and more efficient.

Get a smart watch

I’m not a big fan of the logic of “using another device to solve device problems,” but in this case, it does work. There is a watch that connects my phone – but I don’t use it as a phone – it can greatly reduce the time I spend on my phone and help me curb my desire to put my phone aside. The only reminder I’m allowed to display on my watch is the schedule reminder and the phone call, which at least allows me to work with the work to a certain extent. I can also refuse to answer the phone through the watch, instead of pressing the phone to press it.

Get the AirPods again

There is no physical connection between my phone and my phone. I want to listen to music. I don’t want to be tempted by email. I am calling this person. But I don’t want to brush my phone at the same time.

Get rid of social apps

This will expose the age, but I still remember watching Faceb on my computer.On the days of ook and Twitter, there was no app at the time, so you don’t have to carry it for 24 hours. The world at that time was not as bad as it is today. Twitter at the time was quite interesting. Facebook has also let everyone take pictures of lunch. Now these two places have become the stage for everyone to quarrel.

Deciding to remove social apps from my phone has completely changed the role these apps play in my life. Occasionally getting on Twitter is a good social pastime. Whenever thoughts appear in your mind, can you access it? Not so much. If you have an idea, you can do it? That would not be the case.

Don’t use your phone as an entertainment

Why do operators have to enter into a deal with Netflix? Why does AT&T acquire DirecTV? That’s because they want to turn your phone into your TV. They want your phone to constantly consume data and entertainment. This is good for them, but it is not good for you. When I am on the plane, I won’t take out my mobile phone to watch a movie. I will go to the book. If I want to watch TV, I have to sit on the sofa and look at it with the remote control.

Speaking of this, also delete the game from your phone. Psychologists, designers, and marketers who have been so smart have long thought about how to make them as addictive and immersive as possible. It is a simple practice to use less mobile phones to get rid of games from mobile phones. My mobile phone is used for communication, not for entertainment. Maintaining this difference can help the phone in my life can only be a subordinate role.

Bring two devices

Chris Pfaff, founder of clothing brand Young&Reckless, told me that he would carry two mobile phones with him: one for work and one for entertainment. The fun cell phone—the one that is full of social media apps and other apps that you like—he will be in his car when he works. When he had to go to the garage to send a message, everyone laughed at him, but this practice was effective. If you can afford it, this is a good strategy.

Don’t sync your computer and phone

If your phone is a distracting machine, then your computer should be a focused tool – the farther away the two are, the better. The last thing I want to happen is that my computer is also starting to ring. Who needs to send text messages through the desktop? The thing that is distracting is definitely the less the better.

To the airport printer ticket

When I want to fly somewhere, the first thing is to print my ticket on the self-service machine. why? First of all, things like barcodes aren’t always used, and I hate those who are desperately trying to get their phones aligned with the scanner. itsSecond, and more importantly, I don’t want to find an excuse for myself to grab the phone – the ticket in my pocket has told me everything I need to know, now I can put the phone into the backpack instead of taking it Come out and check. Indeed, it only slightly reduced the time of the phone. But once I have the chance, I want to pull out the phone.

Using child protection settings

You know, you can actually block some websites on your mobile phone, right? If you have deleted the Facebook app but can’t help but go through the browser, you can also use parental controls to protect yourself. There are a lot of websites that I don’t want to hand in, so I made this thing even harder.

Apply cleanup

Delete the contacts you are not contacting. Delete unwanted apps. Clear your cookies. Do you need a Macy’s app? Do you really need both Lyft and Uber? Clean up one. Your phone wants to remember everything to make your experience more seamless. Don’t let it succeed.

“Do not disturb” is your friend

This feature should always be used. Use it when you sit down and have a meeting. Use it when you start watching movies. Use it when you enjoy it with your family. You have to erect a wall and keep others, emails and text messages out. Protect your space. Living in the moment.

Replace your phone with other solutions whenever possible

If you are watching news on your mobile phone, try a newspaper or magazine. If you want to find a place to eat, ask a friend. If you want to use the countdown app with your child, take the kitchen timer out. Indeed, it is more convenient to do all these things with a mobile phone, but have you ever thought that once the task at hand is done, we will subconsciously brush up the phone. The less you use your phone to handle those broken things or the convenience of the map, the less you rely on it.

OK, what is the use of your mobile phone? Oh, actually, it’s still quite useful. The phone is a calculator. The phone allows me to view the information I need at any time. I can use it to take pictures. I can listen to music and podcasts. I can know the direction. I can call Uber and let it pick me up anytime, anywhere. I manage my own schedule. I write notes for myself. I used to record my running and swimming. I can use FaceTime to meet my child when I am outside.

Because I can do these things, my life has become better. What I want to get rid of is something that prevents me from doing those things.

Because I am killed by my life, it is passing every second. I want to live in the moment, notIs staring at the screen.

Translator: boxi.