THE WEEKLY PAGE 📝 No. 240
Screen Time tips + what to read, watch, listen to and enjoy...
After spending a decade working as a social media strategist I ended up with an unhealthy relationship with my phone. Over the past six years, I’ve been working to remedy that by implementing boundaries around device and social media use.
I know a lot of people are in the same boat, and have a goal to decrease their phone use this year — so I thought I’d share a few methods that have worked for me!
Create a “dumb phone” by clearing all distracting apps off your phone’s main screen. Limit it only to the clock and any apps that are vital or that you WANT to spend more time on (see mine, below!). Then create a folder for the apps you tend to waste time on and put it on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th screen. This helps create friction, so it’s not so easy to impulsively open those apps.
Turn off notifications for apps that pull you out of the moment. I’ve had all notifications for social media apps and email turned off for at least five years! I don’t intend to ever go back.
Set App Limits for apps you want to rely on less using the “Screen Time” feature. For example, I have Instagram set to 1 hour and Threads set to 30 minutes. This will give you a pop-up when you’ve maxed out your allotted time for the day. Steps on iPhone: Go to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Click “Add Limit” and locate the app you want to restrict > choose a daily time duration and choose “add”.
Add the Screen Time Widget to your phone’s home screen so it’s easy to see your total screen time for the day and a breakdown of how much time you’ve spent on your “limited” apps. Steps on iPhone: Unlock your phone and press down anywhere on the screen for 3 seconds, until the app icons jiggle > click “edit” in the top left corner > select “add widget” > search for “screen time” at the top > you can then swipe left or right to see the different size/formatting options for the widget > choose one and select “add widget”.
Use your energy wisely by recognizing that you might be wasting some of your best creative energy or focus on “scrolling”. Simply asking myself if that’s where I could best be spending it usually gets me off my phone really quickly.
My goal for this year is to keep my daily average below 3 hours a day, which includes 30 minutes of reading, language lessons, and business-related tasks like responding to customer messages or moderating posts. It’s been a challenge to get it that low, but feels good to be making an effort. Hope these help!
📚 READ: As we enter the final weekend before Donald Trump takes office for his second term, I hope we can learn something from history. This piece from The Atlantic, “How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days”, explains how 92-years ago this month Adolf Hitler systemically disabled and dismantled Germany’s democratic structures and processes — and it took him less than two months. Read it here.
🐾 DONATE: The Pasadena Humane Society has taken in hundreds of animals with burns from the wildfires that continued to burn across LA County this week. If you’re able, make a donation to support their efforts here (just click the big orange DONATE button).
📺 WATCH: We hesitantly started this show not sure what it was going to be about, but quickly got hooked and are already on Season 2. The show presents an alternate history where the Soviet Union landed on the moon prior to the US, along with a fun *twist* that makes this an exceptionally smart series. Watch the trailer here.
🎧 LISTEN: One of my favorite podcast series is comin’ back with a second season next week! Truer Crime with host is just as riveting as any other true crime style podcast, but through the lens of restorative justice, framing each episode in a way that teaches you more about what actually causes and prevents crime. Learn more here or search “Truer Crime” on your podcast app to get notified when new episodes drop next week!
🧡 ENJOY: I’m a firm believer that salads do not have to be boring (in fact, I wrote an entire post about it last year!) — and this Kale Salad with Chicken, Caramelized Onions, and Hot Bacon Dressing is an excellent example of a salad that is savory, hearty, and anything but boring. I love that the base is a combination of kale and brussels sprouts! Get the recipe right here.
HOW I CAN HELP:
💻 Bring me on board as your go-to collaborator with my Hourly Project Packages.
📞Spend a power-packed hour planning and talking strategy with a Call Package.
📝 Visit my Paper Goods Shop for planners, calendars, and more.
📊 Visit my Resources Page for free downloads, spreadsheets, and eBooks.
Hi Dani - I’m with you on limiting phone/social media use. I’m using your habit tracker to track the days I have no social media use and the days I stick to my 15 minute limit. Another entrepreneur I know has an interesting take on this. She’s not consuming any social media this year. She is creating content and engaging with her community and finding ways to do that without getting pulled down the rabbit hole. (@danikabrysha on IG)