I got inspired to reduce my phone use last July. Then, I proceeded to not post any updates about it.

It’s July again, and even though I did not write about it, I have made some progress.

Here are the things that helped keep my phone screen time around 1–2 hours a day instead of the usual 3–4 hours I was doing last year:

  1. Physical Distance: Keeping my phone away — in another room at home, and in a drawer at work — has worked. I’ve also started keeping the phone away instead of at a bedside table, which has helped by making sure I don’t pick it up the first thing in the morning.
  2. Making the Display Grayscale: I mapped my phone’s action button to apply a color filter. This makes the display grayscale and much less distracting.
  3. Removing Mastodon: As much as I like Mastodon, it was my biggest source of distraction. I removed Ivory app from my phone and now only check it on other devices. I also got rid of YouTube app. If needed, I just use a browser now.
  4. Being Mindful of Doomscrolling: Instead of picking up my phone for entertainment, I try to pick something that’s less distracting. Sometimes it’s a physical book, sometimes it’s my Kindle. I can confidently say that all these options are much better than old doomscrolling.

I’m still not perfect, and I end up using my phone more than expected on some days. But having a target to use it less helps. Do you have any tips that work for you?