5 Guaranteed Tips Used by a Tech CEO to Reduce Screen Time
Every now and then, our founder, Emma McLaren, will chime in here on the blog to share personal stories from her journey of setting up Myrth. This post is one in an occasional series.
It’s easy to avoid a lot of things, but it’s hard to avoid screen time and cell phones. That’s doubly true if you want to live in the modern world, and especially so if you want to run a tech startup. As the founder and CEO of Myrth, a digital wellness company, I have some tips and tricks about how I manage my phone use.
There are some CEOs who have turned to flip phones or even no phones, but they’re usually already successful and have a team doing the phone stuff for them (think Oprah Winfrey).
For the rest of us, running a business and building something, we kinda need our screen time.
Below, I’ll walk you through how, as a very successful abstainer—cigarettes, alcohol, sugar, wheat, dairy—I manage my cell phone use with moderation.
I can remember when I first started to want to quit smoking (yes, you read that right). If you are a smoker or a former smoker, you know exactly what I mean. I tried moderation. I tried cutting down. I tried not buying. I tried only smoking during certain situations, but the truth is that one cigarette led to two, which led to eight, which led to, well, you get the picture.
Gradual quitting didn’t work for me. It had to be cold turkey.
So when I finally quit for the dozenth time (I was really very good at quitting), it had to be complete cold turkey. None of these quit-smoking aids—I just had to power through, and power through I did. Abstaining from smoking is easier culturally and societally now than it has ever been before. I was supported. I was on trend.
The problem with cell phone addiction (or use, if you prefer that term and don’t think you’re addicted) is it’s almost impossible in 2019 to abstain completely. So what is someone like me, who has failed pretty miserably with moderation for things I am addicted to (or at least really really like), to do?
Here are my 5 tips for cutting back on screen time:
1. I differentiate between what I call good screen time and bad screen time.
Facebook and Instagram are bad for me because I tend to waste time there, whereas Aaptiv and Evernote are good because I am productive with them.
2. I diligently monitor my use.
I use the screen time function on my iPhone and set limits. I track how much TV I watch, and while I check my social media daily, I also adhere to limits.
3. I meditate, read, do yoga, and run every day.
I fill my time with activities I love so there is less time in the day for phone use.
4. I forgive myself when I crack.
When I quit smoking and had a slip-up, I would beat myself up. I learned that wasn’t helpful or productive. The truth is, we are pushed and pulled to keep up with society. These products are designed to be addictive, and sometimes I don’t succeed. On those days, I make a note, track the failed attempt, and wake up the next day to try again.
5. I surround myself with people who are trying to improve themselves.
This is one of the main reasons I created Myrth and the MyMoai app: to help myself and others in creating and sustaining better habits, and to also pull together a community of people who want to support each other in doing that.
So, there you have it! These are my tips for working in moderation when I generally prefer complete abstinence. I am an all or nothing kinda girl, but that really doesn’t work with technology in 2019. I hope you find these tips helpful, too.
Are you an abstainer or a moderator? Have you had any success in breaking your phone habit or screen habit or any other habits? Tell us about it!