Setting Limits: Not as Hard as It Sounds (Promise!)

You wake up, reach for your phone, and—bam!—you’re instantly 20 minutes deep into a TikTok wormhole. By the time you realize you’ve watched a squirrel explain the stock market, it’s too late. The day has already started, and you’re behind on everything you planned to do. Sound familiar?

Setting limits on phone usage doesn’t have to be a punishment. It’s more like giving yourself permission to be human again. Yes, humans—the ones who used to just sit and think, or stare at the sky, or have a conversation that didn’t involve emojis. The first step to breaking the phone habit is simple: set a timer. Limit your social media scrolling to 60 minutes. That’s it. Your phone will still be there after 60 minutes. It won’t run away. Trust me.

Once you feel comfortable with a 60 minute cut-off, you can gradually decrease it to reduce you phone dependency even further. No need to jump straight into the deep end—small steps lead to big changes.

Sticking to the Limit (Without Going Rogue)

Okay, so you’ve set your 15-minute limit. Now, the tricky part—actually sticking to it. But fear not! Here’s a simple trick: Make the phone less interesting. For instance: move those sneaky, time-wasting apps off the home screen and put them in a folder named “Don’t Even Think About It”. If you can’t see the app, you’re less likely to mindlessly tap it.

Also, consider this: your phone might be your tool, but it’s not your boss. If you reach for it and realize you’ve hit your limit, ask yourself, “What could I do instead?” You could take a walk, read a chapter of that book you say you’re going to read, or—wait for it—actually talk to someone in person.

If you mess up, don’t punish yourself. Just try again tomorrow. Remember, you’re trying to break a habit, not be perfect. Setting limits is just the beginning—the real magic is in your choice to stick with it.