How to STOP Phone Addiction and take control of your life | Anuj Pachhel

Summary

In this video, the speaker addresses the issue of phone addiction and its detrimental effects on daily life, particularly sleep and productivity. They share personal experiences and offer practical tips to help viewers regain control over their screen time. Strategies include setting time limits for social media, increasing friction to delay app access, tracking phone activity, and creating phone-free zones. The speaker also suggests using alternative accounts on social media for a more focused feed, replacing screen time with productive activities, and occasionally practicing a 'no phone day' to break the cycle of addiction.

Takeaways

• 🕒 **Realize Addiction**: The first step to controlling phone addiction is acknowledging that you have a problem and recognizing the amount of time wasted on your phone.
• 📉 **Set Time Limits**: Allocate specific time slots for social media use to prevent mindless scrolling and maintain control over your daily screen time.
• 🚫 **Increase Friction**: Utilize tools or strategies that create a slight delay or obstacle before accessing social media apps to encourage mindful usage.
• 📈 **Track Your Activity**: Regularly monitor your phone usage through built-in tools like Screen Time or Digital Well-being to stay aware and set reduction goals.
• 📱 **Uninstall Temporarily**: While not a permanent solution, occasionally uninstalling apps can provide short breaks from addictive behaviors.
• 🌐 **Change Your Feed**: Create alternative social media accounts that follow only essential or productive content to reduce distractions.
• 🎸 **Replace with Productive Activities**: Substitute screen time with engaging hobbies or tasks that can occupy your time more meaningfully.
• 🚫 **Establish Phone-Free Zones**: Designate areas in your living or working space where phones are not allowed to maintain focus and reduce temptation.
• 🔌 **Keep Charging Stations Away**: Physically separate your phone from your workspace or bed to minimize the urge to check it frequently.
• ⏱ **One-Minute Rule**: Before picking up your phone for a non-essential reason, pause for a minute to reflect and reconsider the action.
• ✈️ **Use Zen/Focus Mode**: Activate settings on your phone that limit distractions during periods of concentrated work or study.
• 📵 **No-Phone Days**: Occasionally, commit to a full day without using your phone to reset your habits and appreciate life beyond the screen.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the video script?

The main issue discussed in the video script is the problem of phone addiction and its negative impact on people's lives, particularly affecting their sleep and productivity.

How much time does the speaker estimate is spent on Instagram per week by most people?

The speaker estimates that most people spend more than 10 to 12 hours per week on Instagram, and in some cases, it can even reach 20 hours.

What is the speaker's profession and how does it relate to their screen time?

The speaker is a medical student and content creator. Despite being a content creator, they emphasize the importance of managing screen time effectively.

What is the first step the speaker suggests to address phone addiction?

The first step the speaker suggests is to realize and accept that one has a phone addiction, which is crucial before attempting any other strategies.

Why does the speaker advise against immediately uninstalling social media apps?

The speaker advises against immediately uninstalling social media apps because it's often not a sustainable solution, and people tend to reinstall them after a short period, potentially leading to a binge and more harm than good.

What alternative does the speaker propose instead of uninstalling apps?

Instead of uninstalling apps, the speaker proposes setting specific time limits for using social media and increasing friction to access these apps, such as placing them on the last page of the app drawer.

How can tracking phone activity help in managing screen time?

Tracking phone activity helps in managing screen time by providing data on how much time is spent on different apps, which can be used to set goals and stay accountable for reducing usage.

What is the concept of 'phone free zones' mentioned in the script?

The concept of 'phone free zones' refers to designated areas where the phone is not allowed, such as a study desk or during meals, to help reduce distractions and encourage focus on the task at hand.

What is the 'one minute rule' suggested by the speaker?

The 'one minute rule' suggested by the speaker is a technique where, before picking up the phone to scroll mindlessly, one should pause for a minute to reflect on whether it's a good use of time, potentially preventing the action.

How does the speaker recommend changing the social media feed to reduce distractions?

The speaker recommends creating an alternative social media account and following only essential and productive content, or unsubscribing from distracting channels to change the feed and reduce the temptation to scroll.

What is the significance of the 'no phone day' concept mentioned in the script?

The 'no phone day' concept is about taking a complete break from the phone for a day to practice detachment and focus on other activities, which can be a challenging yet effective way to reduce dependency on the device.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Overcoming Smartphone Addiction

The speaker addresses the issue of smartphone addiction, particularly the tendency to waste time on social media and its impact on daily life and productivity. They emphasize the importance of recognizing one's own addiction as the first step towards change. The speaker shares personal experiences, including their own screen time during lockdown and how they managed to reduce it. They suggest setting specific time limits for social media use, increasing friction to access apps, and tracking screen time as strategies to regain control over one's life and time.

05:01

🌟 Strategies for Reducing Screen Time

The speaker offers various strategies to help viewers reduce their screen time. They suggest creating an alternative social media account to follow only essential content, unsubscribing from unproductive channels, and replacing screen time with more engaging activities. The importance of setting up phone-free zones and keeping charging stations away from workstations is highlighted. The speaker also recommends using features like Zen mode or Airplane mode to block distractions and proposes the idea of a 'no phone day' to help viewers disconnect completely from their devices.

Keywords

💡Phone Addiction

Phone addiction refers to an unhealthy dependence on one's mobile phone, often leading to excessive use and negative impacts on daily life. In the video, the speaker discusses the detrimental effects of phone addiction, such as staying up late, missing out on sleep, and being late for classes or work. The script highlights how this addiction can slowly destroy one's life by wasting valuable time that could be spent on more productive activities.

💡Screen Time

Screen time is the amount of time spent looking at a digital device, particularly smartphones, tablets, and computers. The video emphasizes the importance of reducing screen time to regain control over one's life. The speaker shares personal anecdotes and strategies to decrease screen time, such as setting time limits for social media use and tracking daily usage to become more aware of one's habits.

💡Content Creation

Content creation is the process of producing digital content, such as videos, blogs, or social media posts. The speaker mentions managing content creation alongside medical studies and internships, which implies a high level of time management and productivity. This concept is used to contrast the time-consuming nature of phone addiction with the productive use of time for creative and professional endeavors.

💡Social Media

Social media refers to online platforms that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. In the context of the video, social media is identified as a primary source of phone addiction, with platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter being the main culprits for excessive screen time. The speaker suggests strategies to manage social media use, such as setting specific times for browsing and creating separate accounts for focused content.

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency of an individual's work or the rate at which goods and services are produced. The video discusses how reducing phone addiction can lead to increased productivity, allowing individuals to focus on tasks such as studying, working, or pursuing hobbies. The speaker advocates for replacing mindless scrolling with more productive activities to make better use of time.

💡Digital Well-being

Digital well-being is the state of maintaining a healthy balance between one's online and offline life, ensuring that technology usage does not negatively impact mental and emotional health. The video touches on digital well-being by encouraging viewers to track their phone activity, set boundaries, and create phone-free zones to improve their overall well-being.

💡Time Management

Time management is the process of planning and controlling how time is spent to increase efficiency and productivity. The video script emphasizes the importance of time management in overcoming phone addiction, as the speaker shares personal experiences and tips on how to allocate time for social media and other activities without compromising essential tasks and responsibilities.

💡Mindful Scrolling

Mindful scrolling refers to the practice of being aware and intentional about the time spent on social media, rather than aimlessly scrolling. The video suggests setting time limits and being conscious of the content consumed as ways to practice mindful scrolling, which can help in reducing screen time and managing phone addiction.

💡Frustrated Effort

Frustrated effort is the concept of intentionally making an action slightly more difficult to perform in order to reduce the frequency of that action. In the video, the speaker mentions increasing friction as a strategy to reduce phone addiction, such as placing social media apps on a less accessible screen or using shortcuts that delay app access, which can help in breaking the habit of mindless phone usage.

💡Accountability

Accountability is the state of being responsible for one's actions and having the willingness to accept the consequences of those actions. The video discusses the importance of being accountable for one's screen time, suggesting that tracking and monitoring phone usage can help individuals stay accountable and make necessary adjustments to reduce addiction.

💡No Phone Day

A no phone day is a period during which an individual abstains from using their phone for a set time, often to focus on other activities or to assess their dependency on the device. The video suggests implementing no phone days as a challenge to break free from phone addiction, allowing individuals to experience life without constant digital distractions and to reset their relationship with their devices.

Highlights

The impact of phone addiction on sleep and daily life, causing people to stay up late and potentially be late for classes or work.

The realization that excessive screen time is a form of addiction and is slowly destructive to one's life.

The speaker's personal experience of managing content creation, medical studies, and internships without heavy social media use.

The shocking statistic that many people spend over 10-20 hours per week on Instagram alone.

The potential productivity gains from reallocating the time spent on social media to more meaningful activities.

The importance of acknowledging phone addiction as the first step towards reducing screen time.

The ineffectiveness of simply uninstalling social media apps as a long-term solution to phone addiction.

Setting specific time limits for social media usage as a strategy to manage screen time.

Increasing friction to access social media apps by rearranging them or using delay features to reduce impulsive use.

The use of reminder widgets to keep track of tasks and goals, serving as a distraction from mindless scrolling.

The benefits of tracking phone activity to stay accountable and monitor progress in reducing screen time.

The suggestion to create an alternative social media account to follow only essential content, reducing distractions.

The advice to unsubscribe from unproductive YouTube channels and subscribe to educational ones to make better use of time.

Replacing screen time with more engaging and productive activities to reduce the urge to scroll on the phone.

Setting up phone-free zones in physical spaces to minimize distractions and improve focus on tasks.

The practical tip of keeping the phone's charging station away from workstations to reduce the temptation to use it.

Implementing a one-minute rule before picking up the phone to assess the value of the action and resist the urge to scroll.

Using phone modes like Zen, Focus, or Airplane Mode to block notifications and distractions during focused work sessions.

The challenge of doing a no-phone day to completely disconnect and assess the impact of phone usage on daily life.

Transcripts

how many times has this happened to you

that it's three in the night you are

staring at your phone you wanted to fall

asleep at 12 and now you're gonna be

late for tomorrow's classes or college

or just life in general you know this

phone addiction which you keep on having

is destroying your life slowly just

because you can't stop staring at the

screen and this is extremely dangerous

for you I don't think most people

realize how much time they are wasting

on their cell phones because a lot of

people ask me how do you manage your

content creation as well as medical

studies and you know internship I just

tell them I don't use social media that

much because if you just take out the

amount of time that you're spending each

week on just Instagram I'm 100 sure it

is going to be more than 10 or 12 hours

sometimes in worse cases like even 20

hours per week if you give that 20 hours

to creating something very amazing

learning a habit learning a passion or

starting a business it's gonna be so

much more productive for you so in this

video I'm going to be talking about how

you're going to be tricking control of

your life once again like you once had

before you got this phone so yes welcome

to the channel hi everyone my name is

special and in this video I'll be

telling you exactly how to take control

of your life by decreasing your screen

time and removing a phone addiction the

first point that you have to realize

that you have a phone Addiction in the

first place most of the people if I ask

them are you addicted to your phone

they're like no I'm not addicted so how

much time am I spending on Instagram I'm

spending like three hours per day so why

are you spending that time I like it so

do you think you should cut down your

time yes but why should I so literally

after asking somebody do you think you

should cut it down they are like yes but

why the exact words of an addict if you

ask an alcohol addict okay should you

think you should cut down your alcohol

so this is the point is first thing is

first you have to realize that you are

addicted you have to realize okay you

are wasting your life only and until you

don't have this realization there is no

point in this video okay so just take a

control of your life and just ask

yourself are you really addicted before

I tell you the steps though I'll tell

you my idea addiction story so back in

lockdown I think my screen time was

roughly around 6 hours per day which was

pretty pretty huge considering that it's

not even three hours in most of the days

that I'm doing my work right now and

believe me I am like a social media

content creator what I spend my time

doing is creating videos for you guys

growing my business you know talking to

amazing people building relationships

and also working on myself so my de

addiction Journey started almost two

years ago when I actually hit this

realization Point okay I'm spending way

too much time on my phone and that's

when it said to me that I'm going to

decrease my screen time and today it's

less than three hours like for

consistently for weeks now now that you

have accepted that you are edited let me

tell you what to do next I'm pretty sure

why most of your addiction is coming

from social media sites like Snapchat

Instagram WhatsApp threads Twitter which

is I think called X now so Ace of Jesus

say I think that is the time where

you're spending the most time so what

most people would tell you is that

uninstall the application okay get off

of it how how many days is it gonna last

It's Gonna Last like two days three days

they're going to be downloading the

applications back you're getting back on

track trust me I did that as well so

what I'm telling you to do is that don't

quit all these applications don't

uninstall them just set yourself a time

okay in this let's say from evening six

to seven PM I'm going to be spending my

entire one hour on social media I'm

going to be enjoying my YouTube videos

I'm going to be enjoying the Instagram

reels because if you have allocated that

time to yourself let's say that at 2 pm

you are like okay I'm gonna scroll down

you'll get this set foreign

will take a little bit of willpower if

you have that left

after scrolling so much then you can

definitely apply that if you don't have

it left I have some more tricks for you

the second point is that increase

friction so there is this I think iPhone

shortcut called as take a break and it's

also an application in it's completely

free of cost where what it does is that

whenever you open your phone and you

start to go to Instagram or whatever it

will just give you five seconds of break

and that is enough to increase the

friction to you to realize okay this is

not worth my time I'm Gonna Keep it the

second thing which you can do is of

course keep these applications in the

last page of your application drawer or

whatever so that it will take time for

you to get to the from the first special

last page and in that way you will

probably realize okay this is not worth

my time so increase friction between the

phone as well as your applications what

you can also do is set up reminders in

between so there are reminder widgets

which you can place and in these widgets

add the to-do list which you have to do

let's say you have to complete that

question bank or let's say you have to

complete medicine or surgery or whatever

subject which you're trying to do right

you can add those in between so that

what will happen once you start

scrolling you'll realize

if you get to the last page you will be

like

subscribe lastly you can definitely

uninstall the application but once again

uninstalling is not the permanent

solution you are going to be getting

back at it you're going to be binging it

like crazy and in the end you will have

done more damage than more good the next

point is to track your activity on your

phone it is very very easy if you're on

Android go open Digital well-being and

if you are on Apple open the screen time

and you will see everything that is you

that is your data on your phone you

analyze key okay I'm spending like two

hours on WhatsApp three hours on

Instagram and four hours on YouTube so

you just find out key this is my

analytics and in this week I have to

limit this down and then throughout the

week you have to remember okay this is

my goal I won't have to exceed it so

tracking your activity is a very good

way to staying accountable as well as

knowing what your current progress is

next thing is that I understand we

cannot totally go off of social media

however it is very tempting to do that

for one year and make a video about it

later let me know if you want to see

that what you can do is that in whatever

social media apps which are using you

can change the way your feed looks like

what do you mean by feed feed my love to

explore page for the Instagram page so

what you can do is first of all create

an alternative account and follow only

the things which are absolutely

essential so that way your feed will be

filled up with only study Wala thing or

only you know very productive things or

like you can follow me you'll see my

great posts on Instagram if you want

that so by creating a new account all

your earlier subscriptions are still in

place but at the same time this new

account will give you a fresh start to

you know avoid all the distractions with

that comes with let's say scrolling

YouTube this is very essential if you

are a neat aspirant who is you know

targeting some batch and second just go

ahead and unsubscribe all the channels

which absolutely waste your time because

honestly time is the most valuable thing

which you have got money is actually

nothing compared to time you can make

money infinitely okay but you cannot get

the time which you have lost and you

don't exactly know how much time you

have left on this Earth and subscribe

the channels which are actually good for

you a very good example would be doctor

specials Channel like he makes videos

about productivity Med School blogs as

well as so many different things you can

go subscribe yourself the red button is

right below the video you can try it out

anyways moving on the next thing is that

replace that screen time Valley activity

with something more productive because

why do we actually go to our phones

because we are bored that is the number

one reason if I am just sitting on my

bed I don't have nothing to do I just

take my phone and start scrolling that

is the normal physiology of How It's all

working right so what you can do is that

replace that activity with something

which is much more interesting for

example just pick up a Guitar okay start

playing you will start to learn as you

go and what you'll notice is that you

will have less less free time to use

your phone you will be very very

occupied very good example is enroll

yourself in mbbs internship in GMS in

akpur you will have so much work I

remember like there was my surgery

internship am I screen time for that

entire 12 24 hour ad day was hardly one

hour 20 minutes so because I did not

have time to look at my phone how would

I be wasting my time as well as you can

start working on your goals such as

study wise neat physical

anesthetically whatever exam you're

trying just don't be that free that you

allow yourself to just take up your

phone and just start scrolling okay the

next is very very practical point which

I would like to give is a setup phone

free zones what do you mean by phone

freezer zones for example this table

this is my phone free zone I have a

phone because I wanted to show it for

demonstration purposes in this video but

essentially if I am studying over here

if I'm working over here my phone is not

going to be here because if this is here

I won't be studying or editing is damn

sure I'm damn sure about that other

phone free zone is when I'm having

dinner when I'm having dinner no

distractions nothing I just want to

focus I just wanna have a nice time

chatting with my family about how the

day was how everything was so that is

one thing which you can also do next

thing another practical tip is that keep

your charging station away from your

workstation so this is my workstation a

video on it very very soon or it might

just be a video which I have already

done you can check it out after this one

is done so I never keep my charging

station no near over here my charging

session is way over there so that is

also what you can do is that allow your

phone to be physically distanced from

you social distance

and what will happen is that you will

see you forget about your phone at once

next thing you can do is set up a one

minute rule so you have heard about the

five second rule the five minute rule

the 25 minute Rule and 21 days rule so

what I'm trying to say is the one minute

rule whenever you pick up your phone

just for mindlessly scrolling just give

yourself one minute and ask yourself

okay in these 60 seconds let me just do

nothing let me just analyze what are my

life choices let me just analyze how did

we get here and just don't open your

phone don't unlock it as well that in

that one minute you'll have so much

realization that you'll just keep your

phone aside you'll feel like

this is not a good way to be spending my

time the next thing is again using Zen

mode or Focus mode or Airplane Mode

whichever you have in your phone uh in

that way you can just block all the

notifications all at once so whenever

you're doing some deep work let's say

studying you won't get like a snap

notification yeah Instagram notification

I don't know

so whatever you get that won't distract

you okay and that is what I say to you

as well key just put it on airplane mode

Zen mode or Focus mode in the in iPhone

you've got the focus settings you can

personalize it as as you want you can

also set up like a location based Focus

that means once you get into your home

uh everything will be blocked and lastly

this is going to be very very difficult

for most of the people to do is do a no

phone day there is basically like a

divorce with your phone for that one day

okay nothing related for screen time

zero okay even calls and all you can

just totally avoid or you can use your

mom's phone to call or you can use your

friend's phone to call so no phone day I

used to have this a lot during my class

I think 12 standard there were like

multiple no phones there no phones to

everyone because it used to be

distracting sometimes because talking to

your friends all of that during the

preparation is like very distracting you

can do it for hours you won't even know

it I'm not saying that talking to your

parents is a bad thing but essentially

if you are short on time if you're

preparing for an exam that is something

which is not ideal anyways those were

all I think 10 or 11 tips which I wanted

to give you regarding how to decrease

your screen time just a gentle reminder

if you're watching this please consider

subscribing because making videos such

as this one take up so much time effort

and energy and subscribing it is two

seconds would make up for all of that

and yes I'll see you next time

good