We spend an average of 7 hours per day on screens connected to the internet. That includes 3 hours and 15 minutes spent on smartphones, which are checked an average of 58 times every day. Half of all screen time sessions begin within 3 minutes of the last, showing that phone usage is a habit that can soon become an addiction.
Addiction can be defined as a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. You go on your phone, you get rewarded. Rewards come in the form of dopamine and validation, the relief of boredom or the enjoyment of light entertainment. It keeps feeling good, so we keep picking it up. The cycle continues even after we realize the costs, including changes in cognitive ability, problems with social or emotional skills, trouble sleeping, and mental laziness.
There’s no doubt that time away from your smartphone will be beneficial, but doing this effectively involves a plan. Get ChatGPT to help you make yours. Copy, paste and edit the square brackets in ChatGPT, and keep the same chat window open so the context carries through.
How To Overcome Phone Addiction With ChatGPT
Notice The Triggers
The first step is self-awareness. When do you tend to use your phone? What are you doing, who are you with, and what’s your mental state when you go to pick it up? Without judgment, find the triggers. Understand whether it’s boredom, annoyance, validation or simply habit. Know why you’re seeking screen time and what it could be telling you.
“I usually go on my phone at these specific moments of the day: [explain when you tend to go on your phone], when I’m feeling [explain how you’re feeling at the time] or when I’m [explain what else you’re doing at the time]. From this information, outline the potential triggers behind my phone usage. I want to understand why I pick up my phone when I do.”
Switch Bad Habits For Good
Now you know when you’re triggered, replace the habit with something else. Describe your goals to ChatGPT and have it suggest new things you could do in the gap that’s now there, that will contribute to your progress in business and life. Find more productive habits that are far more beneficial over the long term.
“I want to find alternative things to do in these moments, that don’t involve using my phone or another screen. Can you suggest ways I can replace the habit of picking up my phone with a new habit, that will progress my goals of [describe your business, hobby or life goals.] Also suggest some rules I could stick to, for times when I shouldn’t use my phone at all.”
Make A 30-Day Plan
Habits aren’t created straight away. Anything worth doing takes time. Ask ChatGPT for a 30-day plan, to make gradual progress towards replacing your screen time and reducing your addiction to your smartphone. Make the time you spend on it intentional, not idle. Spend the idle time doing something better.
“Swapping my old habits for new ones might not happen straight away. Based on the suggestions so far, give me a 30-day plan for incrementally creating new habits (in the place of old ones), so I use my phone less. The plan should be manageable, focusing on one or two habit changes at a time. Include tactics for each action in the plan.”
Understand The Downsides
Humans act to move towards pleasure and away from pain. But without realizing the true pain of phone addiction, you’ll plough on with your actions. Understand the real costs behind overuse related to the goals you outlined earlier. Make the link to pain for the best chance of succeeding at changing your ways. If that quick scroll is going to cost your financial success, is it really worth it? ChatGPT may have insights you hadn’t yet considered.
“What are the downsides to my physical and mental health of spending too much time on my phone? Specifically include downsides that relate to the goals I already described.”
Get Friends On Board
Join up with some pals to crack this addiction together. Tell them what you’re doing, share this prompt sequence, and decide how you’ll keep each other accountable to what you have said you’ll do. Hang out without using your phones and spend more time chatting. Share your tactics for successfully logging off to get new ideas you can use. Ask ChatGPT for the best way forward using this final prompt.
“I want to get my friends involved in my 30 day challenge, and potentially doing 30-day challenges of their own. Suggest ways we could hold each other accountable and help each other with our screen time. Note, your suggestions need to not involve more screen time.”
Overcome Phone Addiction With This Plan From ChatGPT
Don’t let your smartphone control your every action, release its hold on you with these five simple prompts. Notice what triggers you into picking it up and create new habits to replace the old. Get set up for success with a 30-day plan, understand the pain of not sticking to it, then join up with like-minded friends to make progress together.
Be in control of when you use your phone by using it only with intention, not out of habit. Dig into what’s causing you to overuse and make the changes that will make all the difference.
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