10 Keys To Disconnect Your Mobile Phone
These 10 keys to disconnecting your cell phone will come in handy if you’re planning to go on vacation or if you just think you can’t handle any more stress.
It is no coincidence that many people have decided to start a ‘cell phone detox’, at least for a few hours, in order to take better care of their mental and emotional health.
The truth is that cell phones can be so demanding that they can prevent people from enjoying their rest for a few minutes as they receive a lot of notifications on social media.
You may also receive business emails while your workday may have already ended. All those notifications keep disturbing you and can keep you from enjoying your free time.
Based on this, studies have highlighted (Spanish link) that cell phone use, along with many other technological devices, is becoming an obsessive routine that includes a compulsive ritual of checking them every minute of the day. Find out in this article what you can do to prevent this.
Why you should disconnect your mobile phone
The sheer amount of information technology provides poses new challenges for us in terms of using it to ensure it does not pose a health risk. The new behaviors that arise with the use of technology are not always healthy.
Research supports this (Spanish link). As technologies improve, new terms appear. For example, there is nomophobia, the irrational fear of leaving home without a cell phone, which causes fear in those who suffer from it.
There’s also a constant need to want to know what your contacts are doing, which is known as FOMO or ‘fear of missing out’. Therefore, despite all the advantages of technological devices, it is often necessary to learn to disconnect. Below we share 10 keys to disconnect from your cell phone so you can live a stress-free life.
10 keys to disconnect your mobile phone
Without realizing it, you can develop a dependency on your cell phone. You must therefore practice some strategies to be able to disconnect.
1. Keep only the most useful apps
This includes, for example, the agenda. Then uninstall the apps that, due to their numerous notifications, only drain you and your cell phone battery. To select which applications to keep or remove, consider how often you use each of them.
2. Share the challenge with someone else
This could be your partner, a friend or family member. If someone close to you is also trying to disconnect, you may feel a little more motivated. This way, instead of paying attention to your cell phone, you can plan trips together or enjoy recreational activities.
A very useful idea is to apply the rule to put your cell phone on silent when you spend time together outdoors. In this way, you can enjoy pleasant moments, while strengthening your relationship at the same time.
Always paying attention to the notifications on your phone is a form of worrying that can cause you to miss out on the interesting things that happen in your daily life.
3. Avoid syncing your account
Instead, set up a schedule. If you sync your business email accounts, it will be more difficult for you to disconnect as a customer will always need you or you will need to solve a problem at any time.
Use a schedule to organize yourself and leave all your work behind when you leave the office. This also allows you to enjoy more hours of rest.
4. Put your cell phone aside
It’s worth putting your cell phone aside for a while. You can use that time to do other enjoyable activities. The phone does not have to be on the table during dinner.
You also don’t have to take it with you everywhere you go when you get home. Put it aside and enjoy your food, read, drink a cup of tea and spend some time to yourself. Keep in mind, if something urgent pops up, you’re going to know anyway, because we’re never quite cut off in this world.
5. Set a specific time to use your mobile phone
It is clear that you always have to solve or do something. However, try to use only your cell phone for a certain amount of time and then set it aside. Just as you know that you need to rest for several hours, you can also spend a specific time to use your cell phone and then do other activities.
6. Put your mobile phone on silent mode
If your phone doesn’t vibrate or beep, you can distract yourself with other activities and be fully present. Your mind will then focus on that, without thinking of anything else. You should therefore often opt for this option, especially before going to sleep.
7. Use a traditional watch
Do not use your mobile phone as an alarm clock. This allows you to wake up and spend a few minutes completely relaxed in bed, without feeling the pressure of all your pending notifications.
8. Do something different
Learn a new language, try to write a book, paint or devote yourself to the things you’ve always dreamed of. To achieve this, you need to disconnect your mobile phone for a while.
Some people spend hours sharing jokes or news when they could use that time for other things they have a real passion for.
9. Put your cell phone in airplane mode
Learn to leave your cell phone in airplane mode when you want to focus on other important activities. This is a good choice if you are exercising or dedicating yourself to something else. Once done, you can turn off airplane mode and check everything.
10. Turn it off
In spite of everything, if you have trouble disconnecting your mobile phone, just turn it off and think about the time you spend on the device.
Conclusion
If, after implementing these 10 keys to disconnect from your cell phone, you think you can’t do it, then maybe it’s time to ask a psychologist for help. This is necessary because you may be suffering from an addiction.
The main thing is to stay calm. It may be difficult to disconnect from your mobile phone at first. However, you will gradually realize that you can also live without a phone.
Practice mindfulness or yoga to attract stillness into your life. Remember that the most important thing is to be happy with yourself. If you think you need some extra help and support, don’t hesitate to ask for it from a trained therapist.
