Is your phone always next to you during meals? Do you check it about every 10 seconds? Do you panic when it runs out of battery, or when you make the mistake (which rarely happens) of forgetting it a home or someplace you’ve been?
If you said yes to all these, there’s a good chance you’re addicted to your phone. Worse, you’re letting it run your life. Think about those times when you arrive late to an appointment because your phone just had to charge.
Now, it’ll be easy to quickly claim that you’re just really busy, and you need it on you at all time. But that is not an excuse. If you can relate to any of these four signs, then it means your phone runs your life.
You sleep with it
Of course, who doesn’t need an alarm clock to wake them early every morning, especially in a hectic country like ours? But is that really why your phone is beside your pillow every night? Or, is it because you want to get real-time updates on happenings on social media while everyone else is asleep?
When you cultivate the habit of leaving your phone by your side through the night, it means you automatically always reach for it before you even open your eyes in the morning. To fix this, try to get an alarm clock and let your phone stay away from you while you sleep.
It’s the first thing you check every morning
Have you ever thought of how some early morning news could stress you out? How about an early email from your boss? If this sounds familiar, you may want to re-think how you start your day.
Maybe it’s time you got an app that measures how much you use your phone and gently reminds you to keep your screen time under control. You can also set times to disable the Internet— this way, you can start your day on the best note possible.
It’s always in your hand
Before you argue that it is called a mobile phone for a reason, let’s explain this: It’s an addiction if have to take it to the bathroom, boardroom, or to bed. You really should think of how to let go.
The trick to tackling this is in engaging in interesting activities that can replace your phone anytime. It could be time out with your friends, a hobby, or anything else. Whatever it is, begin to do more of it. It’ll help you become less attached to your phone.
You’re always charging it
Okay, we agree — you need to check your texts and emails, but your battery goes flat before noon every day! Imagine running around to find the next available electricity source to charge your phone. Stressful, right? Being constantly out of battery means one thing— you’re on your phone way too much.
Now, there’s a way out— if you find your phone battery going down, don’t be in a hurry to charge yet. Productively utilize the time and engage in activities that’ll keep your mind completely off your phone.