Vision Health
The 20-20-20 Rule
The Strategy: Every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.
Why it works: This resets your eye muscles, reducing digital eye strain and preventing the headaches often associated with prolonged scrolling.
Sleep Hygiene
The Bedroom Sanctuary
The Strategy: Buy a traditional alarm clock and charge your phone in the kitchen or living room overnight.
Why it works: The blue light from screens suppresses melatonin. Removing the phone physically prevents "doomscrolling" before bed and upon waking.
Psychology
Grayscale Mode
The Strategy: Go to your phone's accessibility settings and turn the color filter to "Grayscale."
Why it works: Apps are designed with bright red badges and colorful icons to trigger dopamine. Making your screen black and white makes it less stimulating and boring to look at.
Habit Building
The Digital Curfew
The Strategy: Set a strict rule that all screens are turned off 60 minutes before your intended sleep time.
Why it works: It creates a buffer zone that allows your brain to decompress, improving sleep quality and mental clarity the next morning.
Environment
Phone-Free Zones
The Strategy: Designate specific physical areas (e.g., the dining table, the bathroom) where phones are strictly forbidden.
Why it works: This re-establishes boundaries. It forces you to be present with your food or your family without the constant option of distraction.
Focus
The Notification Audit
The Strategy: Go through your settings and turn off all notifications except for actual humans trying to contact you (calls/texts).
Why it works: Most notifications are "machine" generated to pull you back in. Turning them off puts you back in control of when you check your device.