Put Your Phone Down

Time is one of the things that you simply can not make more of, and it is often the thing that we do not have enough of. Most people would ask for more time in the day to do the things they want and need if they could. Unfortunately, there is no way to add time to the day - we have to make the most of the time that we have. That means that getting your priorities in order is important to do things you actually want to.

As a parent, you have even less time than those without kids. The large majority of your free time is spent with your kids. That leaves little time for yourself. If you have hobbies, there’s a good chance that you don’t spend as much time doing them as you might like. Similarly, if you want to start a new job, or make changes to your lifestyle, it’s often hard because much of your energy is put towards kids.

However, there is often one way that many people waste even more time in a day that they could gain some of it back. All too often, we spend more time on our phones looking at social media or playing games that could be spent doing far more productive things. It’s simply much easier to sit on the couch and check out other people’s lives on our phone than it is to spend energy on other things.

If you really want to find more time in your day, simply put your phone down and don’t spend more time on it than you really need to. What do you really need to do on your phone in a day? You may need to talk to a partner or talk to someone for work. You may need to send a text to a neighbor in need. And you may need to take a few pictures of the silly things that your kids do throughout the day.

You probably don’t need to browse Facebook or Instagram to see what other people are making their life look like. You probably don’t need to sit and play games on your phone for half an hour every night. You likely don’t need to sit and read the latest gossip sites or watch videos on Youtube that are loaded with sponsored content. None of these things are really necessary, but often what we do on our phones.

If you’re missing out on some of your hobbies, put your phone down. If you want to find time to read a book, then stop picking up your phone every free minute and instead grab your Kindle. Instead of turning on a random Youtube video, turn on a video that teaches you some new skills that you’re trying to learn. Spend time doing the things that will make a difference in your life, not imagining how life could be better.

Phones are pretty amazing when you stop to think about them - you have the power in your pocket that wasn’t even in anyone’s homes 25 years ago. Your phone is more powerful than any home computer that people used to have. Technology is awesome, and there are some great ways that it can improve your life. At the same time, you need to make sure it’s not taking over your life.

Put your phone down. Do the things that you actually want to do. Spend time with your family and live in the moment - you’ll likely find life is much better.