When you wake up in the morning, what is the first thing you reach for?
Are you are in a meeting and can’t concentrate because you keep checking your phone?
Do you carry your charger around?
Do you own a car charger without owning a car?
Do you own more than one power bank?
Do you pray for traffic so that you can have time to check your phone while driving?
Do you send broadcast messages in the middle of the night?
Are you one of those chronic smartphone users in church?
Do you and your spouse communicate using the smartphone while in the same room?
If your answer is yes to at least two questions, I am not pleased to announce that you are addicted. You are a smartphone junkie and will probably suffer from nomophobia; the fear of being without your smartphone.
You are not alone in contracting this digital disorder. 6 percent of smartphone users are addicted and need rehab; not rehab precisely but need to get their lives back. Here are some tips on how to do so.
Keep track of time. Set a boundary, if not you will spend most of your productive time using your smartphone and wonder where time went.
1.Home is sacred. The moment you are at home, let the phone disappear so that you can spend time with your loved ones and ensure that your body and mind are present.
2.Keep your phone off when you are outdoors, most especially in places of worship and at funerals.
3.Turn your phone off while in a meeting.
4.Resist the urge to tweet or update a facebook status while at work.
5.Never text, send emails or update while driving.
I hope these tips help, if not you might have to try the BreakFree App which was developed by an Indian couple in February 2014.
The app is great for users who want to start limiting their hours on particularly non-productive, time-sucking social apps like facebook or pinterest. There are tools on the app that can disable internet, reject phone calls and send auto text messages. It is free to download but the premium features will cost a bit.
