Learn How to Use Your Phone to Your Advantage
- SSF_I
- Jan 18, 2023
- 5 min read
Just like many of us, I am on my phone a lot. I am on my phone for multiple hours each day and I always dread looking at my screen time on the settings of my phone. It is ALWAYS way longer than I originally thought. I might think, "oh I was only on social media for a few minutes today" and when I check, it was more like a few hours. I find that I am a really bad judge of how much I am on my phone, maybe some of you can relate to that. In today's blog post, I am going to discuss how to use your phone as a tool and something you control rather than letting your phone control you. I will also be giving out some of the apps and settings that I personally use to improve my well-being and limit unnecessary time on my phone.
Apps I have been enjoying recently
#1 Day One Journaling App
This little journaling app I've been using since April 2020. It is free you basically just write anything you want each day and it saves all your entries in chronological order. Once you have been using the app for at least a year it will also notify you when you have an entry that was on that same day the previous year. It is really nice to look back and see what you wrote about then. They also send notifications regularly to remind you to journal and keep you on track. This is hands down one of my favorite apps that I have on my phone now that I have been using it for a while and I highly recommend it. If you're looking to journal but have a hard time finding the time or place to do it consider giving this a try, it is quick and super easy to use. They also allow you to make preset templates so you can have the same things for each day, or however, you want to set it up. I have designed my own template which seems to work well for me. I like to record things I'm grateful for, things I did well that day, things I could have done better, things I'm thinking about, a brief description of what happened that day, and some things I can try to do better tomorrow. Each of these can be detailed or just a few words, it really depends on the day and the time that is available. Coming up with your own template is great and just starting simple is the best way to begin. If you are looking to start journaling don't be too ambitious, it is hard and as I discussed in my last blog post, it is better to establish the habit first. Give it a try today, start small maybe with only writing a few things, and build from there. I highly recommend it.
#2 Nike Trainer App
I use this all the time to find workouts and do different types of workouts. If you are looking for at-home workouts with no equipment, basic equipment, or even full equipment workouts this is the app to check out. They have hundreds of different workouts of all different lengths led by Nike instructors. It is really one of the best apps to find new workouts and different movements. If you are looking to build endurance, strength, or work on a specific muscle group, this app is for you. I use this app all the time especially when I am away or just want to do an instructor-led workout. It is so funny and they are oftentimes a lot harder than I am expecting. I would highly recommend anyone to give it a try, it is a great app to have on your phone for quick workouts that are very well done.
#3 Elevate Brain Games App
I don't use this one every day, however, I should be using it more! Elevate is a free brain-strengthening game that helps to improve your brain power in a variety of ways through little games and challenges. There will be different sections that they will test you on, these being writing, speaking, reading, math, and memory. The games and challenges focus on each of these areas and help to improve these areas. Some of the games can be actually quite challenging and you really feel good when you complete them. I only have the free version but you can get a lot more options if you decide to pay for it. However, the free version is great and offers you lots of options. This is another app that I have been using for a while and I highly recommend it. Just give it a try and see how you like it.
Your phone is one of the most powerful things that you have considering how much we all use it. There are probably thousands of health-related apps that you could get and would work well, these three are just ones that I have found I stick to using over the years. There are many others that I have used that served me at the time but I have moved on from them. If anyone has certain apps that they like I would really like to hear about them!
Phone Settings To Try:
When using my phone I limit the number of notifications I get. For apps that I don't really need to see right away, I always turn off notifications. There is no reason to get continuously distracted by pointless notifications and alerts. Consider turning these off and you won't find yourself reaching for your phone so much when it buzzes with a pointless notification.
The final tip I would suggest with this topic is setting individual app limits. If you find yourself spending hours on social media, sports apps, or amazon try putting a time limit on that app so that way you have a cut-off of when to stop. Of course some days you will go over but at least you have a general idea of how much time you are spending and it allows you to better evaluate. Of course, the specific time will be unique to each individual depending on their needs and you can only figure that out through experimentation. These can really help though because once you realize you've spent two hours on Instagram today you might decide to pick up a book, go on a walk, or call and talk to a friend rather than continuing to scroll. Most of the apps that we use are good but they must be used in moderation, that is the key and the main takeaway from this blog post.
Your phone is one of the most powerful things that you have considering how much we all use it. There are probably thousands of health-related apps that you could get and would work well, these three are just ones that I have found I stick to using over the years. There are many others that I have used that served me at the time but I have moved on from them. If anyone has certain apps that they like, I would really like to hear about them!
I hope that you guys enjoyed reading this blog post and that it gave you something to think about. Please reach out with any questions that you might have or if you need help with anything! Thanks for reading :)
Resources I've been Enjoying Recently
Podcasts:
Humans weren’t designed for this by Greg McKeown
Youtube
Why You're Always Tired - 7 Myths Ruining Your Sleep by Ali Abdaal
How to Keep Your New Years Goals by Dr. Mona Vand
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