SAHM with phone addiction

[Anonymous]

Let us NOT have this turn into a SAHM vs WOHM debate ok?

Help me break my phone habit. Other SAHM, how have you managed to stay off your phone all day? With the new school starting, it feels like "new year". I'd really like to drop the habit.

Do you treat it like a landline, and leave the sound one but leave it in one place?

It is an addiction, plain and simple, and I'd like to break it. For my kids sake. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Delete all social media apps. You don’t have to delete the accounts - just make it harder to quickly access them.

If you read books on the phone, switch to physical books.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, PP. Not sure if it is easier/better to delete the apps, or just try to have self control and not use the phone.

[Anonymous]

I use the screen time settings to limit my time. It has helped a bit.

[Anonymous]

I think part of the addiction is about engaging your mind. How about listening to an audio book, podcast or music? Something where your brain is focused on something else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the addiction is about engaging your mind. How about listening to an audio book, podcast or music? Something where your brain is focused on something else.

Really? 99% of the people on the phone are games or social media.

A few read the news or a book. And DCUM which engages my reptilian mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the addiction is about engaging your mind. How about listening to an audio book, podcast or music? Something where your brain is focused on something else.

Really? 99% of the people on the phone are games or social media.

A few read the news or a book. And DCUM which engages my reptilian mind.

Yes, really. I never said it was engaging your mind at a high-level . Either way, it’s certainly worth a try If she wants to break the addiction. But I do think that the most effective thing would be to delete social media apps.

[Anonymous]

I deleted all of my games and quit facebook. It helped a ton. What’s app allowed me to get kid photos to my family while I detoxed. I’m back on facebook, but experience demonstrates that I cannot have games on my phone ever again. I got a few great books from the library and put a different one by each of my habitual seats. If I have a few minutes, I read. It’s not about getting through the books, it’s about modeling reading for fun to my kids. I find that a Fitbit that shows me who is texting me helps with FOMO. It only shows the first sentence, but that way I know whether the text is important enough to be worth walking to the front hall, where I keep my phone. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Set it to black and white mode. https://medium.com/better-humans/how-to-make-your-iphone-black-and-white-and-why-you-should-42e70deb92c7

[Anonymous]

I got an Apple Watch. I rarely take my phone anywhere anymore. The watch allow me to make/receive calls and texts.

[Anonymous]

One thing I’m trying to do is only “play” on my phone at set times. So, things like checking my email or the weather are fine whenever, but checking Facebook or DCUM (my primary time-wasters— I don’t play games on my phone) can only be done once in the morning, at lunch, and at bedtime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I got an Apple Watch. I rarely take my phone anywhere anymore. The watch allow me to make/receive calls and texts.

X1000 this was the big surprise for me. I leave my phone at home now.

In your position, I’d shut off my phone and leave it in the car. I’d also use a smart speaker/Bluetooth in the house for radio/podcasts/books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Set it to black and white mode. https://medium.com/better-humans/how-to-make-your-iphone-black-and-white-and-why-you-should-42e70deb92c7

WOW! Thank you! So helpful and easy.

[Anonymous]

I’m confused. If you’re on the phone all day while
You stay home with kids, where are your kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused. If you’re on the phone all day while
You stay home with kids, where are your kids?

Painting quietly. Fruit still life’s mostly.