Life Hacks to Living Beyond the Screen

Technology has essentially become a huge slice of our lives. We use it for news, work, commerce, education, entertainment, networking, communication, and even transportation. There is no doubt that tech has done a lot for us and continues to do more, but there are also side effects that come with it – especially when too recklessly and excessively used.

Tech overuse can lead to gadget addiction, reduced attention span, weakened memory recall, undeveloped social skills, stunted emotional response, and disconnection with peers. Observe that when used for too long, gadgets eventually die down after a certain point of time. As people, we also have to shut down sometimes and learn to live life beyond the screen.

To aid in doing so, check out these curated life hacks for minimizing the use of technology and electronics.

Hack #1. Create gadget-free zones and hours
It’s awfully simple to plop down in bed and spend a hard day’s night scrolling through social media platforms, or binging to your current Netflix obsession. And if you find yourself with a free day, the means of “de-stressing” twists and convolutes into the same ‘ole binging and clicking and scrolling. Guilty? So are we.

To combat this, establish gadget-less hours and locations. Allocate one hour of the day to doing chores or performing activities not anchored to technology; or when seated before the dining table, shut down phones and shove them in the middle of the table like it’s a God-forbidden fruit. Always and without exception, adhere to the limitations set for one’s self.

It sounds excruciating, but remember that it’s all temporary and it’s not gonna kill. In fact, it’s great for the long run. This hack may require a fair amount of self-discipline, but that’s a life skill we all ought to master anyway. To track progress and boost motivation, keep a tracker or place it in a schedule or to-do list.

Hack #2. Fight tech with tech
It sounds ridiculous but fighting tech with tech can actually be an effective strategy to cutting down gadget use. Nowadays, self-help apps are popping out in virtual stores everywhere. There are apps that help with budgeting, cognitive abilities, health and fitness, and there are apps that monitor smartphone usage.

Choose your fighter! There are dozens of applications out there that monitor phone use: Moment, Rescue Time, Breakfree, Hooked, and AppDetox are some. It’s all about testing things out and finding what one personally thinks works best.

Oftentimes, we lose track of time with an electronic device before our eyes. Tech monitoring apps are out here keeping it real, promoting self-consciousness and keeping tech users grounded of their actions and fixations. Call it a wake-up call.

Hack #3. Watch out!
Sometimes we like making up excuses for ourselves. We like rationalizing our irrational cravings, and when you check on the time via smartphone instead of using a wrist watch, then that’s that: you’re deluding yourself. You didn’t check your phone for that reason alone, you just wanted a sound reason to start scrolling through the phone in a less reasonable manner.

If you have this habit, literally put a watch out on your wrist or learn to glance at a clock. It’s not that hard, a timepiece is found traditionally in every room. Again, this will take practice and self-discipline but it is a good habit to have.

Apart from that, watch out for other excuses like checking the phone when clueless about what to do in a particularly awkward situation, or ultimately, checking the phone because of having nothing to do. That one is the most dangerous sort of logic.

Hack #4. Distract yourself.
This one’s an easy classic. Gadgets are typically the ones that distract us from reality, from doing work, studying, or going out, but even distractions need distractions.

It is tempting to use a gadget because there, you feel limitless, free, and daresay, even productive. Unfortunately, that is not always the case and although one may be aware of this tidbit of information, it can still feel like hell extracting yourself from the virtual life.

To cope, find another distraction. Engage in recreational activities. Connect with friends and family in real life. Exercise, take a nap, do chores, even. Figure out what works for you and go get lost in it.

Get into the habit of hacking through your tech attachment by redirecting your focus and following these tips. It may be unbearably difficult for the first few weeks, but you know what they say “kung gusto, may paraan.”