The irony of talking about screen-free time on a screen is not lost on me! I hope you can use this article as a starting point to think about how your screen habits are affecting your life. Remember, good habits lead to a good life!

There are so many screens in our lives; computers, cell phones, tablets, TVs. It seems that we can’t go anywhere without a screen showing us the latest news, an advertisement, or information. What is the impact of all these screens on your life?

Screen-Free Time

A habit of screen free time means spending intentional time away from screens. You decide to look at a screen instead of mindlessly doing it. Without intention and self-discipline, your environment, culture, or peer pressure will determine how much time you spend in front of a screen. Other forces are guiding the direction of your life.

Like most habits, the first step is awareness. Consider how much time are you spending on your phone. Add up the time on text messaging, emails, social media, games, watching videos, and other apps. Next, look at the time you spend watching TV. It is designed to draw your attention away from your environment and towards the screen paid for by advertisers. Thirdly, many of us spend a great deal of time in front of our computer screens for our job. This screen time affects the quality of your life.

Screen-free time simply requires intention. Some people have a “habit” of having the TV on whether or not they are watching it. Others “automatically” check their phone several times an hour (or even every few minutes). These habits are disruptive to our brains. Distractions and interruptions slow down our mental capacity and effectiveness. The good news is they are just habits that can be changed with new ones that will lead to a good life.

Why is screen-free time a good habit?

After suffering from depression for many years, I became very interested in the brain and wanted to “fix” it so I wouldn’t be sad anymore. Although depression resided in more than just my grey matter, I began a long love-affair with all things “brain”. In about 2000, brain imaging became more popular and many things were discovered about the brain. One realization was that the brain could keep growing and developing over time by a process called neuroplasticity.

So, . . . our brains are important. Just like taking care of our heart, our skin, or our muscles, we must take care of our brain. There is growing research that too much screen time can negatively affect your ability to focus, process information, and interact with others socially.

This is especially important for children and teenagers. Besides locking their brains into a small screen, it usually prevents children from moving their bodies which is also unhealthy.

And the pandemic sent many of us towards virtual, instead of in-person meetings. The verdict is still out but this added screen time, without giving our brains a break, has potentially damaging effects.

MULTITASKING

Screen time often leads to multitasking. We watch TV and try to have a conversation at the same time. We glance at our text messages while we are having lunch with a friend. We are busy at our computer at work and an email notification pops up which takes our attention away from the task at hand.

But multitasking isn’t a thing. Our brains are not capable of doing two things at once. It simply stops doing one thing and starts doing another. Trying to multitask is an inefficient way of going about getting things done. It will waste time and the end result will not be as good as if you did one thing at a time. Try this exercise to see how you do at multitasking.

There is a reason notifications include a bell or buzz. It distracts you from what you are doing to draw your attention to what someone else wants you to pay attention to.

VISION THERAPY

A benefit of making a habit of screen free time is being kind to your brain. For most of my life, I had no depth perception. It is difficult for those of you who have it to even understand what this means. It was like living in a paper doll world where I only saw in two-dimensions. Here is a link to my story.

At the end of 2016, I was fortunate enough to do vision therapy. Part of my vision therapy was “tickling” my brain to get my eyes and brain to communicate with each other. Eyes + Brain = Vision. This was an important lesson about the value of my brain. Because it was not connected properly to my eyes, my life was limited. Now, because of vision therapy, I have some depth perception. It absolutely changed my life.

The reason I bring up vision therapy is because we do not know the impact the screens we stare at for countless hours a day are having on this valuable piece of real estate, . . . your brain.

How can you form a habit of screen-free time?

Replace your screen time with these good habits.

Instead of taking away screen time, consider adding face to face conversation, talking with another person instead of writing to them (via email or text), or simply observing what is going on around you without the distraction of your phone. One way would be to count the people you had a face to face conversation with. Then, give yourself a reward for these new interactions that do not involve screens.
Keep screens out of your bedroom. This will help you avoid the temptation to use them. This is especially important for children. Full disclosure, I have a TV in my bedroom, but it is rarely on.
I hear your arguments! But my friends rely on me to get back to them. I “have” to look at my phone regularly. If I don’t, I’ll miss out! This is a valid argument. If you have become captive to your phone because your friends expect your responses, it’s time to have a conversation with your friends. Let them know you are going to intentionally stay away from the constant distraction of your phone. Tell them you’ll check it at specific times a day, or when you’re not occupied with something else.
Get rid of notifications. This will eliminate the temptation to look at your phone or computer unless you intentionally want to. This will give you more control over your own life.
To help from trying to multitask while using your screens, add a line to the end of your emails saying something like, “I read emails at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm each day and will get back to you as soon as possible.” This sets the expectation to the person you are sending the email to.
Another anti-multitasking hack is to not have your email open unless you are specifically working on emails. This will make your screen time more effective and, therefore, reduce your overall time.
At a minimum, avoid screens ½ hour before going to bed and the first ½ hour of the day.