Smartphone detox: 6 tips on how to reduce cell phone use

How about starting the year lighter? O smartphone is designed to suggest that you compulsively check your notifications. With bright colors and constant lights, it's hard to unplug. To illustrate how dependent we are on these technologies, a study on the use of cell phones to browse the internet and social networks in the world in 2017 revealed that Brazil is the third country that spends the most time connected.

According to the survey carried out by the agency We Are Social and the platform Hootsuite, Brazilians spend more than nine hours a day connected through any device. There are 130 million users of social networks, which represents 62% of the population. Of these, 120 million access the network via cell phones, that is, 57% of Brazilians use smartphones to connect to networks. Today, much of what we do with our smartphones is seen as habitual and automatic behavior. For that reason, we are going to suggest some tips to help you do a digital detox and reduce your cell phone use.

disable notifications

That cell phone ringing all the time bothers everyone already knows, but notifications and cell phone updates also make noises and vibrations that, in addition to being very annoying, divert not only your focus of attention, but also those who are close to you. Decrease the number of notifications for installed apps. For example, you do not need to receive notifications from your Facebook.

In addition, Airplane Mode serves to create attention, once activated, your smartphone turns off Wi-Fi, 3G/4G connections and even disables your carrier's signal, preventing you from receiving calls and SMS messages. If you're going to start an important task or during a meeting, it doesn't hurt to leave your cell phone in this function.

Limit cell phone usage to breaks only

In order not to distract from work or study, it is best to limit cell phone use to just breaks between lunch or coffee breaks. During meals, when you are eating, it is best to turn off your cell phone. This is the only way to feel the colors, textures and flavors that are part of the food. In addition, when we don't pay attention to the amount of food we put on the plate and engage in a side activity, we tend to eat more than we really need.

Don't trade outdoor activities, appointments or meetings for your smartphone

Start by taking time to take care of your health and enjoy nature. Don't trade fresh air for a motionless, sedentary routine. Prefer a real social life to a virtual one. Choose real relationships and friendships instead of opting to use your cell phone to do so. Use network contacts only to know where the events are and actually go. Do not check 'online presence' and follow the parties and meetings through the device screen.

Practice physical exercise regularly

Create regular breaks while using technologies by stretching. It's not healthy to spend hours at a time in the same position. Pauses to massage the neck and do exercises for the hands avoid tendinitis and stiffening in the neck. Take advantage of breaks to relax, drink water and eat.

Don't shake your mood with virtual publications

Don't believe everything that is posted and be careful what you post on the internet. Fake news is the best demonstration of how dangerous the network can be. For example, someone suffering from depression can follow a supposedly perfect life on social media, understand it as reality and potentiate their bad feelings. People usually post only the good times and leave out the common part, the routine.

Throw e-waste in the right place

Think about the environment, recycle unused appliances and avoid unnecessary frequent replacement. The use of cell phones and technology in general must be conscious to avoid replacing devices that still work with others that will soon be obsolete. This exaggeration has consequences for the environment.

Even with so many tips, is there a possibility these days to get away from smartphones even for a few hours? You can?