Overcoming digital addictions is NOT about giving up your phone.
If it were, the solution would be straightforward — throw away your smartphone and buy a feature phone.
But that totally misses the point. Our smartphone is an essential part of our life. However, unfortunately, it can also become toxic if our cravings make us check our phones mindlessly.
So to get a grip on our digital habits, we have to:
- Learn how to handle cravings, without depending on willpower.
- Break the default behavior of checking your phone at the slightest hint of boredom or anxiety.
- Setting some rules for how you use your devices (at least in the beginning).
The upside of getting control is enormous.
In our digital deaddiction bootcamp (Undistractable), we have had some people cut down their YouTube, Instagram, or WhatsApp usage from 6-8 hrs to almost 30 min daily. And most of us can get back 2-3 quality hours per day.
So however you do it — get control over your digital habits. This is the first step to freedom.
– Rajan