I am addicted to my phone!! AIBU to ask how to stop?

[FlyingSoap]

Time limiting apps doesn’t work as I will just turn those settings off. I just scroll, and scroll, and scroll and have no energy for anything else. On the days when I pick up a book instead I feel so much better but lately I have just been defaulting to my phone and social media, and MN. I would love to eventually get down to a point where I only spend an hour or less scrolling a day.
Has anyone got to this point and can give tips as to how?

I sympathise. Something that worked for me a bit is every time you feel the urge to pick up your phone stop and try to work out why before you do so. Is it for validation from social media, boredom or distraction? I found it did help me become more mindful about why I was using my phone, and cut down use a bit.

I've been trying to cut back too OP. I've started by trying a fortnight free from Instagram and tiktok, and going from there. Am still on my phone (obviously as I speak haha) but it's had the effect of cutting down how often because I'm only looking at MN or responding to messages on WhatsApp, which is less absorbing than scrolling I think. Could you try a softly softly approach and start with just stopping accessing one app?

I need to cut down too, I get so much done when I'm not on it and feel so much better, I'm scared my toddler is getting addicted to screens as well. I just have no energy sometimes and I'm so addicted. Maybe do something for half an hour and have a 30 minute timer on when you're on the phone? I'm going to try that tomorrow 😅 just to slowly get out of the habit.

I’ve given my phone a home in the house. A place on the shelf where it lives in the kitchen. I realised my coat, shoes, keys etc had a home but my phone was with me, which led to scrolling. Now it has a designated space I go on it much less. You soon realise too that there’s nothing on it when you do go and look at it.

honestly? I have had to ask someone else to set a screen time code. And I don’t know it. Tis the only way for me. And I am a hugely sucxessful Middle aged woman. I say that only because I hate the assumption that mobile phones only affect teens or feckless people. My attention span was that of a gnat.

I have deleted all the apps from my Home Screen apart from important ones like messages and banking etc.
i still have them they’re just all the way to the right in my App Library so now if I want to go on them I have to search for them.
its stopped me mindlessly flicking on my Home Screen and going on whatever app catches my eye

Probably sounds a bit feeble but gardening helps.
The dark winter months make me lounge and scroll more.
Now that Spring is springing I'm out more and am pruning, sowing, clearing pots and beds so I'm off the phone a lot more.
It's bloody hard though... the minute I stop for a cuppa I'm back on the scroll.

Madness.

I've turned off wifi and data on my phone. It's not a smartphone any more, as it means I have to specifically choose to go online, and I generally don't bother.

Oh god, I totally feel you. I am the same. I’d love to be an hour a day too. I need to model much better behaviour to my 8yo and 5yo too. Do not want this for them.

Me too, following for tips, I've deleted all social media apps from my phone but I still come on mn's and scroll it leaves me feeling crap!

I keep logging out and blocking it on my phone then I just unlock it and sign back in. I'm exasperated with myself.

the only thing that I find works is leaving my phone in another room for a while, but my god I constantly reach for it!

@Muminthewest I am conscious about my phone use around my kids too. I don’t want them to think i value my phone as more important than them, and that thought makes me put it away if I am with them.

I'm so tempted to go back to a brick phone, buy its necessary foe buying train tickets etc.

If you have an iPhone you can click the right side button three times which turns the screen black and white. I find it makes endless scrolling much less fun, particularly Instagram and Pinterest.

Click again 3 times to get the colour back if you need to take a photo etc

That just brings up Appe Pay for me?

This is so simple and genius.

I too ignore settings / limits.

I use the Flora app. There's a free version. You set a time limit where you can't access your phone, during which time a virtual tree grows. If you open your phone, the tree dies.

It's surprisingly addictive - you get a lovely little forest of trees / plants from around the world (you must do a certain amount of time to 'unlock' the next available country & plants. You can set reminders, tasks, and allocate time.

This works well when I'm in the house procrastinating about eg cleaning.

It doesn't help - ahem - scrolling MN at bedtime, say. Physical distance is all that works then!

I have paid for the app blocker paid version

Once you pay you can set it for time periods and you then cant override it

It's so tricky. I need my phone to operate the tv as we can only watch through Chromecast. At work I need it to log in to my laptop via duo identification every time i go into my emails or the cloud. So I can't just leave it in another room as I need it to function. And then I get distracted and start looking at it.

Turning it to black and white makes it really boring and doesn't tap into your brain in quite the same way.

It’s great that you want to give up op!

I definitely find my phone usage increases when I am bored and not occupied or mentally stimulated enough (or am awake at night with a baby and noone to talk to).

First step - choose one app or socia media platform to delete. You can do it. Plenty of my friends have delted facebook or twitter. I am so pleased that i have never joined Instagram.

Second step - have a look at ways to occupy yourself. Even if it’s to find some really good addictive tv shows to watch.

Third step - try leaving your phone in another room more often. You don’t need to be contactable all the time.

Ultimate step - I think the ultimate thing that helps me is thinking how much I am WASTING MY LIFE by staring at my phone reading crap. I think about how my retired mum does this and how much she is wasting the last years of her life. DO YOU WANT TO WASTE YOUR LIFE?

StripyDungarees that’s such a good idea

Have you read 'How to break up with your phone'?

The easy route is to buy a brick phone.

I'm desperate to stop scrolling.
My attention span is now so bad I can rarely read a book-I blame reading in short bursts constantly for this. I'm a current affairs junkie.
I have excruciating pain from from my shoulder blade down my arm.
I can't stand What's App group chats, FaceTime or any group chats unless it's with my kids.
Deleted Facebook as my pet hate is adults who attention seek-so cringe. Miss the groups I was on though.
My dog has trained himself to pester me when my phone vibrates and it's on silent, so it even disturbs him 🤔
I hate the fact that everywhere you look online, the underlying message is that someone, somewhere, is trying to sell you something.
I can for see a generation of humans just being switched off to life, so socially disabled. Or double switched off to life if you add in headphones.
I see children - now - battling for their parents' attention. And people walking dogs, totally disengaged to a pet who is looking at them for interaction. Sad.
If it wasn't for the fact I can't sit at my laptop for more than an hour at a time, due to joint/back problems, I'd happily go back to my beloved old Nokia.

I try to leave mine in the kitchen overnight. Plug it in about 8.30pm and then don't touch it until after morning coffee (unless it rings). It's a good starting point.

Clicking it twice brings up Apple Pay and clicking it three times turns the screen black and white. Try it again!