If we are going to ask you the question “Are you addicted to your phone?” then we better start off by being honest. We were nervous to write this post since when we thought about the types of questions we would ask to determine cell phone addiction, we were saying yes to them all! For us, the purpose of this read is to become more mindful, both you and us, on when and how much we use our phone!  Ok, here we go!

Do you look at your phone first thing in the morning?

After a good nights sleep, do you reach for your phone before your eyes are fully open and adjusted? The real question is, what are you looking for and will it matter if you read it an hour later? Many of us are probably guilty of this and depending what we read right when we wake up can set the tone for the day. If we read a work email that agitates us, we start the day off rushing through the morning routine to get to the computer to get it sorted. So often, a message or email on our phone can take away from that time we have with our kids in the morning before the head to school.

Tip #1: Change your charging habits

Charge your phone outside of your room. The benefits of not having your phone plugged in next to your head while your sleeping will be an added bonus! When you wake up, your phone won’t be the first thing you see which will give you time to be more engaged with your kids, more time for your morning routine and more time to keep your head out of the work space before you’re there for the rest of the day!

Do you look at your phone at every spare minute?

While it may feel like there is never enough time in a day, we all find ourselves with minutes to spare. Whether it be while your waiting to get the kids from school, waiting for a meeting or an appointment to begin, and even dare I say it…waiting for the light to turn green! We are smart individuals, yet the urge to reach for the phone, even when we know we shouldn’t (like in the car), is strong and gets us time and time again. Making a change like this requires us to be mindful to make a different choice in these moments of lull.

Tip #2: Set your own limits for certain apps

Need to see how bad you really are? Swipe left on your instagram homepage to check your activity. This will show you how many minutes you spend on Instagram daily. Here’s our tip: You can set how long you want to be on Instagram in a day and you will get a reminder when your time is up! The hard part will be sticking to your limit!

Do you leave your phone face up?

Well, do you? When you are at work working on a big project or even worse, at a table with friends or family, do you leave your phone face up to ensure you don’t miss a beat? We try to remind ourselves of the message this sends to the people around us.

Tip #3: Put your phone face down

Start with one time a day. Perhaps dinner time, a very important time in the family. Putting your phone away from the dinner table will help you engage in deeper conversation with your friends and family instead of constantly glancing over at the screen mid conversation.You will be setting a positive example for your children to follow as they get older.

Do you compulsively check your phone?

While there are important times in life when you are constantly checking your phone for an exciting announcement, that is not a typical day! So, what are you constantly checking? It has become habit for most people to keep themselves occupied. How many times do you catch yourself picking up the phone during a commercial break?! Many times, you won’t find anything new on your phone or feed in such a short period of time!

Tip #4: Disrupt the notification game

Turn off your notification sounds so that you aren’t constantly distracted by the noise!

Do you check your phone right before you fall asleep?

We have already talked about delaying phone use in the morning and the same goes for at night. Take some time to clear your mind before you fall asleep by staying off of social media. If you haven’t had a chance to read what happened to one of our writers when she didn’t take her phone to bed with her, give it a read!

Share your tried and tested tips with us! We need them too!

Meet the Author | SavvySassyMoms

The Savvy Sassy Moms are professional educators and mothers with more than 30 years of educating experience and over 20 years of combined parenting experience between them. With a true passion for engaging with moms and sharing their bright and relatable savvy and sassy know-how, they bring current and exciting content to Savvy Sassy Moms for all stages of motherhood as well as help and guidance for all the in-betweens! Connect with Savvy Sassy Moms on Instagram

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