What Are The Common Mistakes When Reducing Screen Time?

📺 Mistake #2: Replacing Screen Time with Other Passive Activities

When we talk about activities, we can categorize them into two types. Passive activities, where we consume content without producing, and productive activities, where we create something tangible.

When we’re on our phone, most of the time, we’re in consumer mode (on TikTok, when scrolling, we’re not producing anything, right?). Our body has adapted to this, and making an effort… is not its favorite thing!

When reducing screen time, our body tries to find an equivalent—often something passive, like scrolling. This might be watching movies, series, or playing online games. But there’s nothing really productive there. Quickly, you’ll revert to bad habits.

Our suggestion is to make a list of activities you like or would like to do. Every time you feel like scrolling, think of one and try it out. Yes, at first, it’s hard to motivate yourself. But that’s normal. You need to push yourself, then you’ll start enjoying it.

If you have trouble finding inspiration, you can use Jomo, available for free on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. We’ve gathered 100 cool activities to try instead of wasting time on Instagram. If you block your apps, you’ll see a screen recommending activities to try. You’ll have plenty to keep you busy.

🤡 Mistake #3: Ignoring Emotional Triggers Behind Screen Usage

As we mentioned earlier, ignoring the root cause prevents success. The key is to find the root of the problem: What makes you use your phone? What feelings make you addicted? In what situations do you tend to misuse your phone?

For example, let’s say boredom. If you tend to scroll because you’re bored, don’t try to find another phone activity, like a game. Ask yourself: Why am I bored? Why do I fear boredom? What’s so bad about being bored?

Then, we create “pairs.” For example, for a harmful phone activity, assign an off-screen one. Watching TikTok → Doing crosswords, binge-watching on Netflix → Going for a walk, browsing X → Doing push-ups, etc.

Finally, change habits at a deeper level. For instance, if you tend to take your phone to the bathroom, leading to 30 minutes or even an hour of scrolling, leave it behind. Make it a phone-free zone. In the meantime, have magazines or puzzles to keep you entertained if you find the time too long. At night, instead of scrolling, place magazines by your bed. In public transport → bring a book, etc.

🖋️ Mistake #4: Not Tracking Progress or Having a Clear Plan

Wanting to change without a plan is like trying to beat the final boss in a game without any weapons, armor, and just a bit of hope. It’s not enough.

For you to succeed, you need a goal. Ideally, it should be achievable, realistic, time-bound, and measurable. For instance, if you currently have 8 hours of screen time per day and aim to reduce it to below 2 hours, don’t try to hit that goal within a week. Instead, try to get to 6h30/7h and maintain that for a full week. Then, in week 2, reduce by another 30 minutes (or 1 hour if you’re up for it). If you slip up, hold off on reducing further until you’re stable.

Set a specific date to reach your overall goal (for example, by December 15, 2024, you’ll be down to a maximum of 2 hours per day). Don’t be afraid to look at your progress curve. Most of the time, we focus on the goal but not enough on the journey. Even if your progress seems small (e.g., 6h vs. 8h), it’s already a huge change!

🛑 Mistake #5: Using a “Cold-Turkey” Approach

As we mentioned earlier, the “Cold Turkey” method might work, but it’s often followed by a severe relapse. You go without for X amount of time, then binge to make up for the withdrawal. And that’s not what we want—we want long-term solutions!

Much less frustrating and more sustainable, we suggest gradual reduction. You can refer to the method mentioned earlier in Mistake #1.

Which Tool to Use for Lasting Change?

On our side, we recommend the Jomo app, available for free on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Why this app and not another? Let us explain:

🤝 Supports Progress

Jomo is a companion, not an enemy. Designed to help over the long haul, the app includes a host of different features to aid in reducing screen time.

In the Profile section, you can see all your progress, track your usage in detail, and get an overview of your journey. A great way to gain perspective!

🧠 Allows Reflection on Usage

The Journaling feature is simple and quick to use, allowing you to create a real habit of reflection regarding your usage. Every day, take a moment to associate a feeling and an activity with an app. What’s the purpose? Well, it helps you understand your phone use in the first place and see if the activities you engage in make you happy or not.

Analyzing and understanding your usage is essential to lasting change. At Jomo, we quickly understood this, which is why we developed this feature.

🔒 Offers the Most Powerful and Comprehensive Blocking Tools

Jomo has the most comprehensive app blocker on iPhone and iPad. Whatever your need, there’s a rule for you! We have over 20 ready-to-use rules, but you can customize each one according to your preferences and habits. The goal: find your way to regulate usage and stick to your commitments over the long term!

🌱 Provides Tools to Aid Disconnection

As we mentioned earlier, disconnecting is good, but if you don’t know what to do with that time, it’s a problem. That’s why we came up with a way to help you disconnect peacefully.

You’ll find “Good Alternatives,” specific screens that appear on each of your blocked apps. Meanwhile, you can also suggest apps to use instead of others, leave personalized messages, or even recommend contacts to call, for example!

And there you have it, that’s the end of this article! We hope this helps in your quest to reduce screen time. If there’s one thing to remember, it’s that miracle methods or “hacks” don’t exist. If you can’t stick to them, it’s because they don’t work, not because you’re weak! Success comes with effort.