Creating a Screen Time Reduction Plan

Want to Break Free from the Scrolling Trap? Stop. Don't scroll by. Stay with me. I have a confession—there was a time I’d open social media or shopping apps “just for a minute,” only to realize I’d lost an hour, scrolling mindlessly. It left me frustrated, knowing I was wasting precious time I could’ve spent on things that truly mattered. If you’re in this situation too, you’re not alone. The good news? You can take control. Here’s what worked for me: 1️⃣ Set Clear Boundaries I started using app timers and put my phone on “focus mode”(similar to Do Not Disturb )during work hours or quality family time. Limiting access made all the difference. 2️⃣ Declutter Your Phone I uninstalled apps that weren’t adding value to my day. For social media, I shifted to using only the desktop version, which instantly reduced the impulse to check them. 3️⃣ Rearranged My Screen All productivity apps went to the first screen, while social and shopping apps were tucked away in folders on the last page. Out of sight, out of mind! 4️⃣ Replaced Bad Habits with Better Ones Whenever I felt the urge to scroll, I’d stop and ask myself: What can I do right now that aligns with my goals? Reading a book, journaling, or taking a quick walk became my go-to alternatives. 5️⃣ Turned Off Notifications No more constant pings grabbing my attention. My phone stopped dictating my day, and I regained focus. 6️⃣ Tracked My Time I started monitoring my screen time weekly. Seeing those numbers made me more mindful and motivated to cut back. Think of it this way: Social media and shopping apps are like a dessert—they’re fine in moderation, but overindulging can leave you feeling drained. Your time, however, is the main course—use it wisely to nourish your mind, body, and soul. One thing I’ve learned: "Time wasted is time you’ll never get back. You either own your time or let it own you." If you’re feeling stuck in this loop, I encourage you to start small. Set a timer, log off, and be intentional with your day. What strategies have helped you limit app usage? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments! #PersonalGrowth #TimeManagement #DigitalDetox #Productivity #Focus #IntentionalLiving

Decreased My Screen-Time by 127 Minutes Per Day. (Here’s Exactly How) 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻-𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 The numbers are shocking… General Screen-Time Averages → Global Daily Average: Adults spend an average of 6 hours and 58 minutes on screens daily. → Smartphone Usage: The average smartphone user spends 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phone daily. Most people check their phones 58 times a day on average. → Social Media Consumption: The average person spends 2 hours and 31 minutes per day on social media. Quick Math: That’s 22 hours and 45 minutes per week, 97 hours and 30 minutes per month, or 1,186 hours and 15 minutes per year spent on screens. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻-𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 The endless scroll on IG or TikTok may seem harmless, but here’s what I realized I was robbing myself of: ✖ Time with the people I love ✖ Building and growing my business ✖ Prioritizing my well-being ✖ Flow state experiences ✖ Rest and relaxation So, I decided to take action. 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 I changed my relationship with my phone. Instead of letting it control my life, I took back control by setting hard boundaries: ✔ No phone when I first wake up ✔ No phone at the gym ✔ No phone during deep focus blocks ✔ No phone when I’m present with loved ones ✔ No phone during the last hour of my day I found myself fully present with the task at hand instead of being constantly derailed by the next notification or urge to check my phone. 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗱 This didn’t happen overnight, but through consistent effort. These are the tricks I wish someone had told me years ago: → Schedule Do Not Disturb: Mine is on 24/7, eliminating notification distractions. → Move Distracting Apps Off My Home Screen: All social media apps live in a folder on the very last screen of my phone—it takes 3 swipes to access them. → Night Shift Mode: Scheduled from 7 PM to 9 AM, it eliminates the vibrant colors that pull me in. → Create “No Phone Zones:” No scrolling on the couch, at the dinner table, or in bed. → Intentional Scrolling: I only allow myself to scroll during a designated time in the afternoon. I’m still discovering new tips and tricks every day—if you have any, please share them! 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 More Time: Freed up hours for hobbies, relationships, and productivity. Improved Mental Health: Less comparison, anxiety, and overstimulation. Better Sleep: Avoiding screens before bed has drastically improved my rest. Enhanced Focus: Without constant phone distractions, I can stay in deep work longer and accomplish tasks more efficiently. Stronger Relationships: Being fully present with loved ones has deepened my connections and improved communication. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻 What’s your biggest screen-time challenge? Which tip or mindset resonated with you most? Let me know—I’d love to help or learn from your experience!

I reduced my phone screen time from 4 hours to 2 hours in last 3 months. Here is how I did it: 1. My phone is on work mode from 9 AM to 11 PM, aligning with my usual working hours. During this focus mode, I've tuned out the distractions - no sound for messages or notifications, except for my priority contacts, which happen to be my family. 2. I keep my phone on silent mode during peak working hours or whenever I am doing something important. So that I am not distracted. In addition, when I am on leaves with my family or when I am out with my friends, my phone is on silent mode so I end up spending a quality time with them rather than the virtual world. 3. I uninstalled some of the social media apps which I don’t use often or not needed. 4. I’ve set timers in some of the apps. E.g., I can’t use Instagram >10 mins as per the timer. If I am exceeding the time limit, it automatically closes the app. With time, now my average use of Instagram is 7-8 min. 5. I've designated specific time slots for checking and responding to messages, calls, and emails. This way, I stay connected without the constant digital tether. Now, the saved time has found a new purpose – reading books, meaningful conversations with family, outings with friends, and simply enjoying my own company. If you're looking to gain control over your time and reduce screen time, give these strategies a shot. The results are not just in the numbers; they're in the quality moments you gain. 📵✨ #PhoneDetox #TimeWellSpent

Screen time is killing your ability to achieve your goals. I cut mine from 6+ hours to 1.5 / day. That led to more revenue, more time with loved ones, and more happiness. Here are the 7 tips I used to get my attention back: Context: Screen Time ≠ Success I used to think that being "always on" was a good thing. But I began to realize that my phone wasn't just distracting. It was making me miserable. 6 months ago, I decided to cut my screen time. It's led to more $$$ and more meaningful time. 1. Set Your Intentions Having a strong "why" is key to success. Ask yourself: How do I feel on days with heavy screen use? What do I gain from screen time? What am I giving up by spending this much time scrolling? Journaling on these is a great starting point. 2. Physical Distance This is the single, easiest way to reduce your screen time. And you only need to follow two rules: Don't look at your phone for 60 mins after waking Put your phone in another room while you're working Those 2 rules cut my screen time by 50%. 3. Remove All Time-Sucking Apps Your phone should be a tool, not an entertainment source. Delete your social media apps. But also delete Slack and email if you can. You'll find ways to replace the "fun" apps. And you can save Slack / email for when you're at your desk. 4. Turn Off Your Notifications First, turn off badges (the little red dot) for every app besides your texts and phone. Second, set up Do Not Disturb to run all day. This lets you set a favorites list that can still contact you, but forces everything else to wait. 5. Use Grayscale A black and white screen is boring to use. Boring devices make it easier for you to separate. First, head to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters. Then toggle Color Filters on and select Grayscale. 6. Leverage Resources! Having systems and expert advice is helpful in any new journey. My two favorite resources were: How To Break Up With Your Phone - Catherine Price How To Configure Your iPhone To Work For You, Not Against You - Tony Stubblebine 7. Set Your Expectations Changing habits is tough. Especially ones as ingrained as screen time is in our lives. The first few days are hard. But if you work through those? You'll find that your productivity, mental health, and happiness will all drastically improve. —— ➕ Follow Austin Belcak for more 🔵 Ready to land your dream job? Click here to learn more about how we help people land amazing jobs in ~15.5 weeks with a $44k raise: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r

How I cut my screen time in half (and you can too): 15,000 hours. That’s how much time you would save if you reduced your screen time by just one hour per day for the next 40 years. Enough time to build a thriving business. Enough time to master nearly any skill. Enough time to make hundreds of memories with your loved ones. Personally, I failed to cut back dozens of times before I finally found a system that worked. A simple 4-step formula I call APPS: 1️⃣ Awareness The first step to changing anything is becoming aware of it. My advice: Add a simple screen time widget to your phone’s home screen. This one small change is often enough to break the autopilot cycle. ——— 2️⃣ Physical Barriers Make your phone harder to access. Many of us are physically dependent on our devices. They’re the first thing we touch in the morning and the last thing we see at night. That’s why it’s so important to start creating distance: • Charge it outside your bedroom. • Keep it out of reach while you’re working. • Put it into grayscale mode for most of the day. • Place it in a timed lock box at night that doesn’t open until the next morning. A little bit of friction goes a long way here. ——— 3️⃣ Psychological Barriers Make using your phone feel worse than not using it. The best way I’ve found? External accountability. Here’s what I recommend: Start sending your daily screen time report to a friend. Suddenly, it’s not just about letting yourself down (which many of us have learned to tolerate). It’s about letting down someone who’s rooting for you. ——— 4️⃣ Substitutions This is the step most people mess up. We don’t reach for our phones out of desire, we reach out of discomfort. Boredom. Anxiety. Loneliness. Our phones distract us from those feelings. So when you start cutting back, all of that comes flooding in. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, it’s good to sit with those emotions—to actually feel them instead of numbing out. But if you don’t replace your screen time with something intentional, you’ll get overwhelmed fast. That’s why it’s crucial to replace screen time with activities that are: 1. Additive – they improve your life 2. Enjoyable – you want to do them, not just feel like you should For me, that’s reading, walking, or learning something new. For you, it might be playing an instrument or calling a friend. Just try to avoid swapping out one screen for another. Image credit TJ Power on IG ——— ♻️ Repost if you found this useful! 👤 Follow me (Colby Kultgen) for more posts like this!