How I Changed my Screen Time Habits in 2 Weeks

Confession: I have bad screen-time habits. Because of the time that I spend each day on my phone, I’m less productive, getting less sleep, and feeling less satisfied with myself. The real wake-up call, though, came the day that my husband left his phone at my parents’ house. As soon as my toddler overheard one of our phones was missing, he became very upset. He shows other signs of phone-related anxiety, too. He brings my husband and me our phones if he sees them lying around, and he insists I give my husband’s phone back if he sees me using it (and vice versa). 

In the 2 1/2 hours per day I use my phone (half of which is while my toddler is sleeping), my son is learning a phone is so important it should be at my side at all times. 

I decided to spend 2 weeks changing my screen-time habits. 

In just 5 days, I was spending under an hour on my phone and fewer than 20 minutes on social media each day. I checked off everything on my to-do list for the first week, and by the end of the second week, I had finished reading the book I started on Day 3. My second (and third) weeks have not gone perfectly. We all came down with colds. Sick and tired mommy + Sick and cuddly toddler + Day 4 of watching Land Before Time do not equal less screen time.

Even so, I can tell my screen time habits have changed. I’ve replaced mindless scrolling with more intentional activities and I’m happier with my productivity. If you’re interested in changing some of your screen time habits, here’s what I recommend:

Define “healthy” and “unhealthy screen time” for yourself.

Think about when and why you pick up your phone. I found myself scrolling through social media in order to feel connected socially, and scrolling through news headlines to decompress at the end of the day, but the scrolling is what was really at the heart of my unhealthy habits. I decided that texting others and actually reading were my healthy choices.

Change your phone settings to limit your unhealthy screen time habits.

Make sure that you are only receiving notifications for necessities. On an iPhone, you can set time limits for certain apps or categories of apps, and schedule “downtime” for times of day when you do not want to access those apps on your phone. I set my downtime for early mornings and a half-hour before bedtime (when I tend to stay in bed scrolling). You can also use your do-not-disturb mode at any time of day if you want to temporarily silence all notifications, except for calls and messages from people on your favorites list. 

Whether you use your phone’s settings or download an app to help you monitor your screen time, I highly recommend choosing something that will let you customize how you want to limit your time.

Choose the new habits that you want to replace your screen time.

And write them down somewhere. I’m thinking of a sign a mom I know has hanging in her kitchen: Before you say you’re BORED, have you… (and she listed 5 things for her kids to do). Being able to say I read a book, checked something off of my to-do list, played a new game with my son, etc. has helped keep me accountable from day-to-day.

Another tip–make sure a few of your new habits/items on your to-do list are brief. (For me, keeping the dishwasher unloaded and dirty dishes out of the sink, or going through the mail pile.) When I found myself reaching for my phone during playtime, I needed something quick and productive to replace it with. As a bonus, my son started getting used to being in his playroom alone for a few minutes at a time.

Find ways to keep your phone at a distance.

I’ve designated spots to keep my phone in the different areas of my house (somewhere accessible if I hear it ring, but that I would have to walk to in order to pick it up). I’ve also recharged my FitBit, which has the ability to display notifications when I receive calls and texts. By my fifth daily viewing of Land Before Time during our sick week, I realized if I put a pen and paper next to me instead of my phone, I found other ways to be productive while sitting on the couch. 

Do you have a strategy for limiting your screen time? Share it in the comments below!

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Hayley
Hayley was born and raised in Atlanta. She attended Agnes Scott College, then Emory University's MAT program before beginning her teaching career. She and her husband have lived in Boston and New Haven before becoming parents and moving back to Atlanta to be near family. Now a SAHM of two kiddos, Hayley enjoys reading, cooking, and finding her way through the consistent challenges of parenting.