Easenglish

It's time for some hard truths, my friend. Do you remember the days when you only had a house phone and you'd leave the house without it? Do you remember the freedom you felt roaming the world untethered, uninterrupted and unburdened by this convenient but bothering little friend of yours?With the advancements of smartphone technology, it may seem like we are being more productive, more social and more organized, but for most people, that simply isn't the case. In the old days, people used to leave work calls and emails at the office and be done with the workday. Today, however, people are taking work with them everywhere and all the time. Although You still much love to have a close and constant relationship, perhaps it's time to break up with your phone.

First, Start your day by not picking up your phone when you wake up. Leave your phone alone for as long as possible. Spend at least the first hour of your day investing in your future. Focus on your goals, vision board, gratitude list, journaling, passion projects, reading, working out, praying — anything that makes you feel good and sets you up with a good attitude for the rest of the day. Do not start your day with the news, or anything negative, for that matter.

Further, your phone is officially uninvited to the table. I know this might be hard if you've made it a habit to watch YouTube videos during your lunch break, but it's unhealthy to mindlessly eat your food. Bad habits can be fixed. Harvard Health published a letter about the mind-gut connection and how distractions (such as watching TV or reading) can lead your brain to overeating. When you pay attention to the food you are eating — the smell, colors and taste — your stomach and brain will communicate properly, resulting in more efficient digestion.

Most smartphones now come with usage controls that allow you to set time limits on specific apps. Statistics show that people across the globe are averaging two to four hours a day in social media use. If you tend to fall down the social media rabbit hole, set a limit for thirty minutes for each app, totaling no more than one or two hours a day.Think of how much more time you'd have to pursue your lifelong dreams with an extra two hours a day. That's 14 hours a week, practically a part-time job. If you have time for social media, you have time to create the life of your dreams.

Eventually, psychologists believe we are addicted to our phones because we get caught in a dopamine loop. Yes, every time your phone calls your attention with an alert, your dopamine (pleasure-seeking hormone) levels rise and create a physiological reaction that motivates you to pick up your phone.

So, do yourself a favor and simply turn off your notifications for anything that does not require your immediate attention. You can break the addiction cycle, or at the very least lessen its powerful grip. Discipline yourself to use your computer to check emails and social media. That WILLallow you more time away from your phone.