In today’s rapidly evolving world, driven by technological advances, participating in the digital age is almost unavoidable. Many people depend on their smartphones for both work and leisure, which often leads to concerns about excessive screen time. However, these devices can actually enhance our daily lives. Since we always have our phones with us, we can use them to establish and maintain healthy habits.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few tips to help you get started.
How to Use Your Smartphone to Help Create Healthy Habits?
1. Set Intervals for Yourself
Adopt a strategy of designating two distinct periods each day to check your email on your phone. For example, you might choose to review emails between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., and then again from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Avoid the habit of frequent checking.
Constantly checking your email can prevent you from truly disconnecting from work. Email often involves less critical matters, which can dominate your thoughts if left unfinished. When you’re constantly checking your email, your mind is occupied with trivial work-related tasks, detracting from more important activities. In contrast, if you stick to predetermined times to read your email, you can complete this task and then focus on other priorities.
2. Save Calls
Conversations may not be completely forgotten, but the details are gone from us as soon as we hang up. But you can record any call on your iPhone and save it to your memory. The iPhone call recording app will allow you to record all the details. You can even provide this recording as evidence or just use it as a reminder.
3. Turn Notifications Off
Constant notifications can be a major distraction, seriously impacting your productivity. If possible, turn off notifications.
Research shows that it can take up to 23 minutes to regain focus after being distracted. While there’s some debate over the exact duration, what’s clear is that distractions force you to work faster to catch up, increasing stress and reducing the quality of your work. You might think a tweet or text won’t hurt, but each interruption breaks your concentration, making it harder to get back on track. This leads to a stressful day.
Occasional distractions might not be harmful, but what if they happen daily? You’re always trying to catch up, and constantly distracted. This doesn’t lead to a satisfying day.
4. Practice the Pomodoro Method
Multitasking often diminishes productivity, and excessive screen time is a major contributing factor. One effective strategy to combat this is the pomodoro technique, a time-management method that alternates between periods of focused work and short breaks. For example, dedicate 25 minutes to a task that requires your full attention, then take a 5-minute break before resuming work for another 25 minutes.
5. Exercise
Just as some habits can negatively impact our health, cultivating good habits can lead to significant improvements in our physical well-being. One of the most beneficial habits is regular exercise, whether daily or at least three times a week. Research indicates that engaging in at least thirty minutes of exercise each day can enhance stamina and bolster your immune system, making it easier to fend off illnesses.
6. Helps Restore Healthy Meals
Maintaining a healthy diet is essential for our well-being, but it doesn’t mean we have to compromise on taste. Nutritious meals can be both flavorful and satisfying when cooked properly. Our smartphones offer numerous tools to help us enjoy healthy eating. From browsing the web for easy recipes and saving them in a digital notebook to using apps like Muslim Pro, which makes finding excellent halal restaurants while traveling a breeze.
7. Track Your Online Activity
If deleting an app didn’t keep you away for long, it might be time to evaluate how you feel when scrolling through social media. Do some platforms uplift you while others leave you feeling envious or down? If certain content consistently drags you down, it’s a sign it might not be mentally beneficial.
To counter this, consider reducing your time on these draining apps. For instance, decide not to check a certain platform after 7 p.m. Make flexible rules, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you slip up. Remember, breaking habits is tough, but your goal is to feel enriched, not exhausted.
Conclusion
While smartphones often get a bad reputation, they can also bring significant benefits to our lives. These devices can enhance our mindfulness in health and relationships. By managing screen time wisely and utilizing free mobile apps, we can cultivate positive habits that support our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
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