Support thread for cutting back on mindless scrolling / social media etc

[Frostine]

So realise we can't talk about other threads but reading about a few comments about people wanting to free themselves from the addiction / habit of automatically reaching for your phones / screens all the time I thought I'd start a thread for support & thoughts and ideas of cutting back .

Yes understand we are doing the opposite of the title by just being here , but no other way of supporting each other than on here.

So I spend way to long on phone during the day breakfast stuff still not washed , and could load the washing machine up but yet to do .
I'm not saying let's all do housework instead . But if you want to regain a life other than in front of a screen , then maybe we can start here ( like I said the irony is not lost on me but heyho ! )

I've decided no screens for me after 6pm , I want to get back to reading an actual book in bed before I sleep .

And when watching t.v. in the evening , fully immerse myself in the programme rather than do both.

Last night was my first night , by 6.20 I was itching to pick up my phone plus I saw a few things on t.v. that would usually set me off on checking up on things , but I wrote them down a looked this morning.

I also take my phone to the bathroom during the night if I have to get up to check out the latest news ( no idea why and of course if something big has happened it then keeps me awake . I resisted that as well .

So who's in for support and see how we manage , and if it makes us feel better & more energised ?

@Frostine
@daisydaughter

And anyone who wishes to join.

I totally need to do this. I often feel quite depressed after mindless scrolling and like you I end up wishing I had read instead. I also think it's not setting a good model for the kids.
After 6pm sounds like an interesting idea. I'd be interested in hearing other ways people have restricted their use.

I'd like to join. I want to only use my phone after kids are in bed, but would also like to start reading again.

No phone after 6pm, well done if you can manage to keep that up but be careful that you aren’t biting off more than you can chew at the beginning (respectfully). Perhaps start with no screen time an hour before bed, and gradually increase it after a while. My general rule of thumb is no phone an hour before bed and it makes a huge difference to how I sleep/feel when I wake up. Same thing in the morning, no phone immediately after waking up. I do look at it over breakfast, which is usually 45 minutes to an hour after waking up anyway.

Good luck!

I keep meaning to use my phone as a landline - keep it in a specific spot (hallway table for me) and go to it if I need to use it. I hate hate hate ‘having’ to carry it around the house with me. So why do I do it?? My day has been terrible today, so I’ve been scrolling a lot, so it’s been even worse. Vicious cycle of a terrible habit.

Also I find when I read a real book (of which I have a huge stack waiting!) I feel so much better. I can find time to scroll so I can find time to read. But scrolling is so much more interruptible - 3 kids and a household means I only have like 2-5 minutes at a time without being interrupted.

Last year I weaned myself off my phone for a few months- read at night, would make sure first thing in the morning I just went outside and took a breath, would allocate time so would allow myself half my lunch break in work etc. started doing puzzles and reading newspapers, forcing the kids off their screens with board games etc. I can’t tell you, I was a different person, sleep wise, concentration wise, and the kids were hugely impacted too! It sadly only lasted a month or two but I’d love to get back there so totally totally in!!!

I need to do this - check before kids get up then put down then not be messaging in my groups during dinner / bath / bed etc. mine is more chatting with friends / voice notes etc rather than social media as I don’t have many local friends.
I quit all social media last year quite easily but do like forums still which can suck one in.

I'm in 😊

I'm in!

Welcome all !
Day 2 for me yesterday , so like I mentioned , no screens for me after 6 ( taking phone calls excluded , but didn't have any ) it was ok , just a few times my hand went to reach out for it . So tonight will have it out of sight.
Watched t.v. , read and did some puzzles .

Morning! Working today so will be on phone less. Will still be on screens all day, how draining. All the more reason to reduce non-work screen time.

Bought a beautiful puzzle on Amazon last night and a mat so I can move it around, so will spend some evenings doing that. Think DH thinks he’s suddenly aged a couple of decades now he has a wife who does puzzles as well as crochet 😆 I just think I’m wise beyond my years tbh.

Phone was first thing I reached for this morning of course. Ugh I hate being shackled! Another thing I should buy is an alarm clock probably so I can leave my phone downstairs at night.

Ugh see prime example of why I’m shackled to my phone - posted my last post here, put phone in its place in the hallway like a good girl, walked into kitchen where kids were being adorable then wished I had my phone to take a photo!! Just hate that everything is on a phone.
So then came here to write this as it’s so frustrating. Right. Back to the kitchen.

Following…I hate that the big tech companies have done such a number on us all.

If anyone wants some motivation, try watching The Social Dilemma. They did this to us on purpose, so they can sell us things.

One quote from it that sticks in my mind about social media,

”Is something is free, then YOU are the product.”

Ugh.

It is possible to put your sim into an old fashioned landline type phone (I have one for my mum with dementia). You cannot scroll on that!

I will join. I set up screen time limits later year but took it off as it includes Google maps while driving

I’d love to cut back and fall asleep with my phone elsewhere, but I’m in a years-long habit of falling asleep to podcasts; if I wake up at night, I have my phone nearby so I can put on another one before my brain starts wittering and keeping me awake. Does anyone have any suggestions for dealing with that?

This is my issue too. I just have to be strong. DH bought me an old-school iPod to download podcasts onto for night purposes, but it was such a faff it didn’t last long.

I only have Facebook and MN these days, so that helps.

Ooh this thread is quiet, well done everyone! I assume that means we had good days 😆 When I get back from work this evening i’ll make sure to keep my phone in a different room 🤞 Going to watch DS’s gymnastics class now (then work a couple hours, then home… I have a strange job 😄) so will take a book with me! 😲 so grown up!

I’ve put a couple of limits on my phone, 1 hour for Facebook and 1 hour for mums net. A week in and some days are better than others, I spend a lot of time scrolling while my toddler runs riot so really want to get it under control 🙈

Busy day , so not much time to get online .
Just having a quick look about before my curfew .
Have a great evening. T.v. and more puzzles for me.

How do you set a limit for specific sites apps? Does it force close or are you just doing a manual timer?

How's everyone doing ?
Managed again last night but thoughts of a quick look crept in , did stay off so all good .

Another good night for me , it honestly hasn't been as awful as I expect . I'm stopping posting on this thread now as seem to be the only one posting , which is a good thing as those hoping to cut back are not feeling the need for support . Take care.

I think I need to join too. I’m going to set time limits and start reading rather than rewatching old series on Netflix at night. I did do this ages ago and got through gone with the wind by reading a chapter a night. My main issue is I have the books on my iPad so I start reading then before I know it I’m back on mn. I think perhaps I need to get a proper kindle.