I want to hugely reduce my phone use - anyone want to join me?

[WatershipClown]

I’ve just had two weeks off work and I am filled with regret that the main thing I have done, for two weeks, is go on my phone and scroll.
I don’t feel well rested, I haven’t read any books or done anything creative, I haven’t socialised, nothing. I’m also very overweight, the house is a mess and I feel like I have no time, but the truth is I just waste it on my phone.

My arbitrary rules are:
I have decided to restrict phone use to 5 mins in the morning, 5 mins at lunchtime and 5 mins after dinner.
No looking at even bank app unless absolutely necessary.
No online shopping unless essential.
Can use maps/national rail app as necessary if driving out of area.
Can listen to podcasts but no more than 2 mins to choose one.

I would like to do more cooking, painting, reading and exercise with the vast amount of time this will free up (delusional? Me? 🤣)
Is anyone else thinking they also need to change something in a similar way?

You can set limits on your phone, I have mine like that. So after a certain length of time or after 9pm, I can't use it except for phone calls or messages. I asked my partner to set it so I don't know the pin so I'm not tempted to try and get more time.

How will 5 mins be enough to deal with your emails?

What’s your average daily screen time?

I’d like to reduce mine as well, some days it’s as bad as 7-8 hours 😔 mumsnet, instagram and trying to furnish my new house are the main reasons why…

I feel exactly the same. Spent most of Saturday on my phone scrolling through Instagram videos and feel like I need to change. I’ve just ordered the book How to Break Up With Your Phone to try help me.

Sometimes my phone use is more than my full time job! ☹

Signing in. My hourly use is in the region of 8 hours, even on work days. Can be more

I worry about the impact on my kids but I can’t seem to stop.

Another guilty party here.

@AgMaggy I hadn’t considered this, looks like a good thing to put I place now. Will have to use Google to work out how though 😬

@marshmallowfinder I don’t mean work emails, as I do this on work’s time on a computer. My personal emails are rarely anything but advertising crap. I don’t even think it would take 5mins to be honest.

@WhatHaveIDoneNo3 I don’t know, and I think I’m too ashamed to even check. Would guess about the same as my full time job, you’re not alone @CountryShepherd !

@Itdjgsurchg ooh would be interested to see what you think.

@justabigdisco I don’t have children yet but worry about this in the future as planning TTC for January

@FridayForever It’s got such a weird hold on me?! It’s got worse over 10 years but is just so extreme now.

I use an app called Erika- it's free and it literally hides apps from your phone after a certain amount of time - or before if you ask it to. It's really good.

You can even put MN in it!!

Most people don't get loads of emails everyday that actually need dealing with, I probably get 5 emails a week I need to read, all from school. I could easily do this in 5 minutes a day. The rest are junk and can easily be binned.

Are you on I phone ? Just turn on screen time, you can customise it.

Ooooooo!! Think I'll download this! Can you overuse it?

Hate to think how long I spend on Mnet every day! Too scared to check!

Sounds a good idea, but going from all day to 3 x 5 mins is like eating 100 calories a day. You probably wont stick to it and will fall off the wagon. How about cutting down each day?

Get a (non-smart) watch. Then you can physically put your phone elsewhere. Been very helpful to me in reducing my phone use.

I desperately need to do this too!

I'm in. I waste so much time scrolling. Plus I feel like I'm losing the ability to read properly and concentrate. I'm constantly skim reading and feel like I'm frying my head with phone usage!

Yes me. Definitely. Why can't someone invent an app that works properly?!

@AdultLounge you can override it I think but I haven't and it's not the same as just batting a reminder notification away. You would have to physically go into the app and plug back in what you want to use. And you lose points and won't get your badges!!! It's also free which is a huge bonus.

Plus you can still use a banking app, maps, google, Tesco or whatever - it's literally the apps you choose to hide on your phone. It's pretty clever.

I've not heard of this app, but SURELY you can just uninstall it? or go on MN on a browser?

@garlicandsapphires well you could...but it's the best I have found. I think it could help you reset how you are using your phone. I don't use the browser - I only use the app
So that makes that easier.

Even if you use it on browser?

@Whataretheodds ah it works on your apps - so you would have to put the whole browser in (which I wouldn't as I don't really get sucked into Google or safari or whatever). I use the MN app and this is what I meant. Sorry!