Do You Need to Get Your Screen Time Under Control?
When it comes to my phone sucking me in, I’m as guilty as the next mom. On the podcast this week we talked through your questions about how to manage screen time wisely as moms, and Sunny and I confessed we struggle with this too! This week, I would love for you to reflect on the following questions when it comes to your own phone use. Do you need to make a change to be more present for your family in this season?
How often am I comfortable being on the phone in a typical day?
Start checking in with the built-in screen time or digital wellbeing feature on your smartphone to track your phone use. (Usually located in the Settings feature on your phone). Is it a number you are comfortable with? This may be an eye-opener! Once you know how long you’re spending on your phone, you can decide what is reasonable for you. You do this in almost every arena of life! You know it isn’t healthy to eat ice cream endlessly all day, or to binge Netflix all day. Decide how long is reasonable for you to be on your phone and use the built in features on your smartphone to create a cut-off for yourself at that time. You can also bring self-awareness to your phone use by using a timer when you jump into your fun apps. Set the timer for 20 minutes and see how quickly that time flies by.
When is it appropriate for me to use my phone just for fun?
Is it okay for you to pick up your phone whenever? Waiting in line at Target? First thing in the morning with your coffee? I think it helps if I think of the fun apps on my phone as a reward, not an every hour thing. Listen, we know we couldn’t run to the nearest Starbucks every hour and chat with our friends, we set up a special time to get away and do that. Have that same mindset with your phone. Let it be something you look forward to and not something you do mindlessly. Maybe you decide you’ll only look at social media or play games during nap time or after the kids go to bed.
Do I need to establish “no-go zones” for my phone?
Maybe in your home phones don’t go into the bedroom at all. I know many families who keep everyone’s phone in the kitchen after a certain hour of the night. And how good are you about keeping your phone out of your hands in the car, mom? Set some boundaries, and then physically put your phone down, and walk away. Out of sight, out of mind! It’s good for your children to see that you have limits on your technology use as well.
I hope reflecting on these questions helps you establish better boundaries with your phone usage this week. And remember to give yourself grace, we are all a work in progress!