To break free from the constant grip of your smartphone and embrace moments of disconnection, there are several strategies you can employ. Whether you’re a self-employed individual, a busy professional, or someone seeking respite from technology addiction, these methods will help you limit phone usage and fully enjoy your time with loved ones, weekends, vacations, or simply be present in the moment.
You don’t have to power off your mobile device to disconnect from it. In fact, we have even better ideas that allow you to regain control without resorting to turning it off completely. Let’s explore some of the most compelling techniques that will help you live life without constantly being tied to your phone. You’ll soon discover that you can thrive without constantly being at its beck and call, without being interrupted by calls, messages, or email notifications. It’s time to reclaim your freedom and experience the joy of living in the present moment.
If you’ve come to realize that you struggle to go long periods without clutching your phone or checking for new notifications, it’s important to learn the art of disconnecting. Fortunately, it’s much simpler than you might think, and your own phone holds the key to achieving this balance. Allow us to provide you with some practical guidelines that will make the process easier for you.
Use airplane mode
You don’t need to be traveling by plane or using public transport to activate this mode. Simply access the quick settings on your mobile phone or the control center on your iPhone to enable it. Once activated, your phone will immediately disconnect from data networks, wireless connections, and you won’t receive calls or messages. This includes disabling NFC and other wireless features.
However, this mode doesn’t prevent you from using your phone for other purposes. It’s the perfect option if you want to avoid distractions from incoming notifications while still needing to utilize other functions. You can still play games, access your notes, set alarms, write, take and view photos, or access any other desired features on your phone. It allows you to have control over your phone usage while focusing on specific tasks or moments without interruptions.
Activate sleep mode
The rest mode is specifically designed to help you achieve better rest and minimize distractions from your phone. When activated, it silences your phone and switches the screen to black and white, creating a more calming environment for sleep or designated rest periods. Only important alarms and calls will still ring, ensuring you don’t miss anything crucial.
To fully enjoy the benefits of the rest mode, you can customize it to suit your specific needs. You can access it through the quick settings on your phone, or utilize digital well-being and parental control tools. On an iPhone, you can find it in the Rest option within the control center.
When setting up the rest mode, you have the option to activate it while charging your phone at night or at any other specific time you prefer. Simply follow the steps to enable it and customize it according to your preferences. It’s a straightforward process, and once activated, the rest mode will automatically apply every day at the scheduled time. You can easily modify or remove the schedule as desired. This way, you can disconnect from unwanted calls and notifications during your designated rest periods and enjoy uninterrupted relaxation.
Pause the apps
Another effective way to disconnect from your daily activities is by pausing certain applications, particularly the ones you frequently use or those that send you excessive notifications. This helps prevent unnecessary power consumption and interruptions from these apps on your phone.
On many Android devices, you can pause apps by accessing the application drawer. Simply long-press the app you wish to temporarily stop and select “Pause app.” The app won’t close completely but will cease to run in the background. When you want to use it again, you can quickly resume it without any significant delays. By pausing these apps, you can enjoy uninterrupted periods without being disturbed by their notifications.
Furthermore, you can individually pause notifications from specific apps using the Digital Wellbeing and parental control tools. In these settings, navigate to “Manage notifications” where you’ll find a list of all your apps’ notifications. From there, you can choose to enable or disable notifications for each app according to your preference. Alternatively, you can access the Notifications and Control Center or the respective section on your mobile to manage application notifications. If your smartphone supports it, pausing the apps themselves may provide a more convenient option.
On an iPhone, you can achieve a similar effect by freezing or disabling apps. Simply tap on the app you want to deactivate and select the appropriate option from the menu that appears. This will temporarily halt the app’s functionality until you decide to enable it again.
