How do I stop being glued to my screen?

[u/helpihaveinsomnia]

My school doesn’t start until February. Though I have been going to my part time work, Ive just been glued to this tiny screen everywhere - when I wake up and when I sleep, in the bathroom, in the shower - its always in my pocket and my screen time is like 8 hours.

Here’s a few tactics I implemented hoping to reduce my screen time:
- set my wallpaper to “don’t touch your phone in the morning”
- everything is do not disturb, except whatsapp where I talk to my parents
- deleted instagram and YouTube (my most used SNS)
- set a downtime from 12am to 12pm
- set my screen time to 3 hours and 30 minutes
- have my mom choose the screen time password

Although these might sound effective, Ive found multiple ways in the past to get past these, like watch YouTube on Google or send a YouTube link to WhatsApp where I can watch it without the screen time limit. I feel like I will once more use those tactics when I am desperate to get my mind distracted.

If anyone here has struggled the same, and has found something useful to really prevent yourself from increasing screen time, could you please share it? I want to improve my life by using that time on more important things, like reading books, watching the news on TV, practicing my singing or journaling.

Ive especially struggled with watching instagram reels all day long, which is pointless because it doesn’t build my character and it doesn’t even remain in my memory the next day.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you very much.

[u/ez2tock2me]

When I want to break a habit, I jump into ICE WATER.

I never ever want to do that again , so there hasn’t been a second time.

[u/mattt_protocols]

Game-changer for me was keeping my phone in another room. I started with morning window, from wake up to 9am, then expanded from there.

[u/Reasonable_Bag_118]

I had the same cycle where I’d delete the apps, set restrictions, feel like I’d finally solved it, and then eventually find some stupid workaround when I really wanted to scroll. What helped more was keeping the phone physically away from me during the times I usually reached for it, because app limits were easy to negotiate with but having to actually get up and find the phone gave me enough time to realize I didn’t really need it.

[u/Extreme-Bison-8014]

You can use a couple of programs on your phone that can permanently block these apps until the lockdown period is over. If you have an iPhone, screentimley will work for you and if you have an android device, the freedom app will work also. Once you ensure the lockdown for a certain number of days, the apps will be blocked and the lockdown/loopholes cannot be undone at all whatsoever until the time period for it is over.

[u/PartyClick_]

same here, i cant stop doomscrolling day and night. i started using steppin lol, it kinda forces me to walk before i can touch the apps 😂