Limiting Screen Time to Simplify Your Life
Caitlyn Begosa
| 3 min read
Constant access to your phone can leave your mind cluttered and unfocused. With distractions like social media, streaming services and other apps at the access of your fingertips, focusing on what’s important in life can be hard.
Being caught up in your phone can take away the simplicity of life right in front of you. Learning how to reduce screen time allows you time to focus on your life and improves other aspects of your health.
Benefits of less screen time
Setting aside the phone has many health benefits.
- Improved physical health: Instead of spending hours on your phone, that time can be used for exercise instead. Decreasing screen time leaves more opportunity to be active and can decrease your risks of obesity and other weight-related conditions.
- Improved sleep schedule: Decreasing screen time can improve your sleep schedule. Screens release blue light, which can reduce your melatonin production, a hormone that plays a big role when it comes to sleep. When it’s dark, the body will release melatonin, signaling that it’s time to sleep. However, blue light suppresses melatonin, making you alert rather than sleepy. To solve this issue, it’s best to decrease your screen time and not use your phone an hour before bedtime.
- Improved vision: Less screen time decreases the risks of eye strain, macular degeneration, cataracts and other eye issues caused from blue light.
- Improved mental health: Many mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, can be linked to increased screen time. Setting aside your phone and doing productive activities instead can boost your mood.
How reducing screen time simplifies your life
An easy way simplify your life is to set aside your devices and stop worrying about your online life. Instead of watching another episode of Netflix or scrolling to another TikTok, here are some activities that don’t require your phone:
- Enjoy nature and go outside. Taking a scenic hike, swimming in the lake and having a picnic are a few ways to enjoy the beauty that surrounds you.
- The possibilities with hobbies are endless. Find a new hobby or make time for the activities you already love.
- Why keep in contact with family and friends over social media when you can spend time with them in-person? Spending quality time and making new memories with loved ones is the perfect way to live in the moment.
- Set aside the Kindle and read the old-fashioned way with paper copies of books.
- Visiting museums and art exhibits is a great way to remember how to be present.
It’s hard to avoid screens since they’re so essential to our everyday lives. Just remember to take breaks from your devices and prioritize the simple things in life.
To learn more about screen time, read the following blog posts:
Photo credit: Getty Images
