Summertime Boredom: Staying Away From Your Phone In Your Free Time

Summer Break AKA Unlimited Phone Time

For many people, when the summer time comes round it feels like the one time of year where they have unlimited time for their hobbies or activities. The sun is out longer, people are spending time talking to one another and you don’t want to miss any of the action, leading you to spend countless hours on your phone without even realizing it. Of course, you could always put the phone down, but with so much free time and tons of information and entertainment at your fingertips, it can feel difficult to part from your device, even for a couple of minutes.

The Negative Effects Of Phone Use

It’s common knowledge that spending the majority of your day in front of a screen can cause damage to your eyes, but what about some of the less common side effects of prolonged phone use? With the rise of videos as ads and entertainment, the attention span of the average user is being shortened with every thirty-second video that passes by. Because these videos come in vast quantities and algorithms on social media apps are designed to feed into your interests, it becomes impossible to tear your eyes away from what is being presented. This means that you are constantly trying to shift your attention from varying topics in thirty seconds without giving your mind the time to process what you see. Additionally, the consequences of laying on your couch or bed while still holding your phone can have lasting effects on your posture. The strain of bending your neck to stare down at a phone or awkwardly positioning your body for the most comfortable viewing position can be damaging to your spinal cord, neck muscles, and overall flexibility.

How To Stay Off The Screen

Monitoring yourself on your time off sounds counterintuitive, but when you look at the pros and cons of prolonged phone usage, you will find that putting down the phone to practice mindfulness and participate in light physical activity will aid your overall well-being. Below are some ways in which you can stop yourself from hours on your phone and replace the activity with healthier habits:

• ●  Set Screen Time Alarm – Choose a set amount of time you will spend on your screen and stick to it. This will help to build lasting healthy boundaries with your technology usage.
• ●  Go For A Quick Walk – Let your mind wander while you’re exploring.
• ●  Check Hydration Levels – Drink one bottle of water on your break.
• ●  Pick Up A New Hobby – Reading, journaling, cycling; really anything that will keep yourmind active and make it easier for your eyes to stay off a screen.

● Track Your Screen Time Usage – Most phones will do this for you automatically, but by being mindful of what apps you are using and how long you spend on each app you are taking control of your screen time and ultimately, giving it less power.

You Have All The Control

It can be very easy to find yourself falling into the rabbit hole of your particular niche interest and completely losing track of time, but you must be mindful of how you are spending your time on a device and where that device is taking over your life. You have the power to take control of your device usage, so make the most of your everyday life and practice putting the phone down to live in the moment. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by your device or are trying to better practice control in your life, please reach out to Amy Robbins Counseling where we can provide you with the resources you need to take back your life.