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5 Habits for Healthier Phone Use

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Our phones make life easier in countless ways. They connect us, inform us, and keep our lives running. But they also creep into every quiet moment, stealing our focus and dulling the satisfaction we find in real experiences.

In this episode of Office Hours, I talk about how our phones tap into the brain’s reward system and what we can do to reclaim control. I am not suggesting that you give up your devices entirely, since that is likely unrealistic for most people. Instead, I offer simple guardrails that help you enjoy the benefits of technology without letting it dominate your day. I share five practical strategies to create boundaries that help you stay focused, balanced, and fully present.

Referenced:

How to Build a Life

The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Anhedonia

How Cues Drive Our Behavior

Dopamine and Addiction

Neurotransmitter Dopamine (DA) and its Role in the Development of Social Media Addiction

2 Proven Strategies (and 1 Big Mistake) for Dealing with Anxiety

Are bored minds more likely to be addicted? The relationship between boredom proneness and problematic mobile phone use

Depression, anxiety, and smartphone addiction in university students- A cross-sectional study

Relationship between loneliness and internet addiction: a meta-analysis

Oxytocin

109 Technology Addiction Statistics: 2020/2021 Data, Facts & Insights

Digital Addiction

IUPHAR review – Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and substance use disorders: An emerging pharmacotherapeutic target

My 6-Step Morning Protocol for a Better Day

The influence of blue light on sleep, performance and wellbeing in young adults: A systematic review

Exploring the impact of mobile device use on mealtime distractions and its consequences for metabolic health: A narrative minireview

A Piece of Advice I Wish I’d Included in My Book

Taking a Break: The Effects of Partaking in a Two-Week Social Media Digital Detox on Problematic Smartphone and Social Media Use, and Other Health-Related Outcomes among Young Adults

Screen time stats 2019: Here’s how much you use your phone during the workday

109 Technology Addiction Statistics: 2020/2021 Data, Facts & Insights 

The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation

Mindfulness-Based Interventions for the Treatment of Smoking: A Systematic Literature Review

guest appearing in this episode

(00:00) Intro

(04:22) An overview of dopamine and its role in learning, motivation, and reward

(09:08) How addiction hijacks dopamine, and why some of us are more vulnerable than others

(13:50) Who is most at risk for phone addiction and other dangers of phone use

(17:48) The two paths to breaking addiction and when moderation simply doesn’t work

(19:09) Why moderation is the right approach for phones and how much we’re overusing them

(24:33) Strategy #1: Tech-free times

(28:45) Strategy #2: Tech-free zones

(30:45) Strategy #3: Device-free breaks 

(32:09) Strategy #4: Mindful consumption 

(36:21) Strategy #5: Turn off your notifications 

(39:33) Q&A: Handling anxiety when you put your phone down

(41:00) Q&A: Breaking the morning phone habit

(41:53) Q&A: Finding happiness as an introvert

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