It's not exactly news that phones are addictive, or that they can distract you from your real-life responsibilities at work and at home.
According to Becoming Minimalist, most of us spent more than three hours on our phones each day, and pick up our phones about three minutes after we put them down. But you don't have to spend your life chained to the tiny box of distractions. Try some of these strategies to reclaim your time, boost your productivity, and remind yourself what the real world has to offer.
* Detox for one day each week. Choose a day (a weekend probably works best), and just put it away. Do it every week, and you'll probably appreciate the day off.
* Track your usage for a month. The raw numbers might be shocking enough to convince you to do something else with your time. For example, does two hours of social media every day really enhance your life?
* Try the right app. It sounds counterintuitive, but there really is an app for this, too. Space, Flipd, Screentime and others can help you set limits and goals, block your access to distracting apps during the workday, and create incentives for you focus on the world around you.
* Put a hair elastic on your phone. It's a low-tech trick that can yield surprising results. A simple hair tie wrapped around your phone allows you to answer calls easily, but makes scrolling physically difficult — and serves as a reminder not to do it.
