As someone who is pretty constantly tethered to her smartphone, it’s no surprise that I feel as though I’m addicted to it. The challenge for me is that I use my phone for work, but I also enjoy looking at social media (and apps, and…) for pleasure too. But if you’re like me, you post on Instagram, then suddenly you’re checking your emails and scrolling through Facebook for the 400th time out of complete boredom rather than actually getting work done.
I’ve experimented with detoxing from my smartphone in various ways, from turning off notifications to putting it away when I’m around my kids. And, they’ve all worked pretty well when I follow through with them. But lately, I’ve been relying on other gadgets to help untether me from my phone. While these might not necessarily work for you, it’s certainly worth a try if you’re wanting to detach your phone from your hand.
Related: Smartphone addiction – 5 things I learned when I put my phone away when I was around my kids
Apple Watch
I know, I know, you’re like “C’mon Kristen, I can’t go out and buy a $300 + gadget to cure my addiction to another one.” But I will say that since pulling out my Apple Watch from it’s resting place in my jewelry drawer and firing it up again, I’m using my phone way less. Like significantly less. And it’s amazing. I still get notified when texts or calls come through, but it allows me to focus on the task at hand and not get distracted by something that’s not really important.
Charging Station
Since we created a charging hub in our kitchen, I’m much less likely to find myself scrolling through my phone in the evenings during my downtime. I just plug it in, then leave it there, and it’s pretty awesome how much it has freed me up to focus on other things. I’ve taken to doing embroidery while watching television and movies with my kids. And I’m grabbing for books and my journal much more than I ever did because my phone is happily charging in another room.
Related: How to make your phone less distracting, without turning it off
Car Mount
My husband recently installed a car mount (like this one) in my car, so I immediately pop my phone up on it when I get in the car. It makes following directions a whole lot easier; I’m someone who really likes to see the map (versus listen to the directions). And as much as I like to catch up on phone calls in the car, I know it’s not the safest thing to be doing. I’m completely forced to go hands free, so if I do get a call, I am able to pop my AirPods in and carry on with both hands on the wheel.
Cool Mom Tech is a reward style affiliate. Top photo by Ali Abdul Rahman on Unsplash
