2 min read: My husband has (ever so lovingly) been calling me out on my smart phone addiction for a few years now. I’ve realised over time (and with his nagging *ahem* “help”) that as we’re relaxing and watching some shows in the evening I will mindlessly scroll through social media and e-mails as soon as a commercial comes on, instead of engaging and talking with him.
Over time I’ve taken a two-part approach to this issue. The first thing I did was to delete some of the worst “mindless scrolling” apps off of my phone and to silence notifications on others. (Removing the immediate reinforcer.) That helped, although for the first few days I would still instinctively reach for my phone before realising the apps were gone. The second step I was eventually convinced to take was to leave my phone out of reach. (Crazy, right?) I’ve discovered that the increased response effort required to get up and get my phone from the kitchen or other side of the living room is a bit too much for my lazy evening self.
The result? I spend commercials chatting with my husband instead of reading comment sections on all my crazy Aunt Barb’s posts. A win for everyone, I think.
lisa@harkera.com