Staring at a screen for several hours a day is unavoidable when you’re a student. However, the likelihood is you’re using your devices far more than is essential for your studies and staying in touch with friends. Most people look at their phones as soon as they receive a notification and whenever they have nothing else to do. The problem with this habit is it has multiple negative effects, including stress, feelings of loneliness, and depression. The good news is there are simple things you can do to reduce your screen time. Here are some tips to try.
1. Be Conscious of Your Phone Usage
Stop mindlessly opening social media or a gaming app when you’re bored. Find something more productive to do or even just listen to your thoughts. You’ll be amazed at how much screen time this cuts from your day.
2. Set Screen Time Limits
In your phone settings, you can set time limits for individual apps that are wasting the most time. This will shut you out of apps once you’ve reached your daily limit. It may be worth checking how much time you currently spend on particular apps and using this to create reasonable limits. You could even implement stricter limits in the future as you develop better habits.
3. Set Your Phone to Greyscale
Bright colours are one of the big reasons your phone feels addictive. If you switch to greyscale, your phone will feel less appealing when you look at it — which can remind you to do something else instead. You can change your phone to greyscale in the settings or set a shortcut to switch between grey and colour whenever you want.
4. Keep Screens Out of Reach at Bedtime
Leave your devices behind when you go to bed. It can be tempting to wind down by scrolling through social media or watching videos, but this is actually the worst time to be looking at a screen. The blue light your screen emits will wake you up, making it more difficult to fall asleep and lowering your sleep quality. In fact, you should put screens away two hours before bedtime. It’s much better to relax with an activity that doesn’t require screens, such as reading a book.
5. Turn Off Notifications
Be selective about which apps send you notifications. Keeping notifications to a minimum will mean your phone alerts you less often, so you’ll be less likely to pick it up. In fact, the majority of notifications you receive don’t even need your immediate attention.
6. Delete Apps
If you find it impossible to stop giving in to the temptation to use certain apps, delete them. This is a particularly good idea during exam seasons when you need to be focusing more on your studies.
Another way to reduce screen time is to find more activities that don’t require screens. For instance, you could work out in the gym, play games like ping pong and pool, or just spend time with other students. All these things are possible when you choose 1TEN on Whyte for your room for rent. Edmonton students can have a bachelor suite to themselves or share an apartment with up to three roommates. Rent includes furnishings, utilities, and access to a number of common spaces. Apply now.
