Over the past few years, I have been trying to get off the phone and be in the moment more often. I rarely use LinkedIn or Twitter/X anymore, and I have never used TikTok as I know where this will lead. So, I am way better than I once was, but I was finding myself still checking my phone most of the time when there was a spare moment – waiting in a lineup, waiting for the coffee to brew, waiting for my kids to come outside, or even just walking from one room to the other at home or at school. Even though this quick check in my phone was meant to fill a brief moment, it often led to scrolling or getting sidetracked and distracted from things and people right in front of me.
Years ago, I disabled notifications for email and social media and even took certain apps off my phone (email, Twitter, Facebook), and this helped me learn to use my phone less. I found that there were times when I needed these apps (remembering someone’s name, looking up a business, or finding a recent relevant post) so I reinstalled them on my phone. Over time, it became more of a habit to check the apps again and again… and again.
I have read a few books about focus and living in a distracted world and they have helped… and then I came across a very simple app that asks a powerful question each time I open certain apps.
“Is this important?”
ScreenZen* is an app designed to make you pause and reflect on why you are opening a particular app, and then checking in with you while you are using the app. You can adjust the settings to meet you where you are at. You can have it set to any app you choose.
So, when I click on the Facebook or Instagram apps on my phone, the following screen pops up:
At this point, I have a choice – I can unlock it if I think it is actually worth my time, or I can close it out or click “Don’t Unlock”. The vast majority of the time, I realize, it is unimportant, and I was just clicking on the app out of habit. If I am actually going on to the app to check in or post something, I can unlock it, and I will have access for 7 minutes (this is the default, and I just kept it at that, but you can change it). After 7 minutes, the “Is this important?” screen will appear again. It is rare, but if I do see a video or longer post that I feel is important, I can unlock it again. I also have the app set for 5 unlocks per day. When I first started, I would use all 5, but recently, I just unlock once or twice a day. I have only been using this for a couple weeks, but it has significantly impacted my screen time and overall focus in my life.
It is a simple yet powerful question. Is it important? How is time spent on the app I am about to access going to better my life or the lives directly around me? Usually, we know the answer. I still enjoy checking in on social media once or twice a day, but I have become much more self-aware about the unhealthy habit of checking social media regularly. The 7-minute time limit has also made me realize that to actually see posts from friends and family, I have to scroll past so many ads and random “suggested” posts from various pages that I do not subscribe to.
I have no invested interest in this app, but it is a simple one that has changed my habits and behaviours… and maybe it can help you, too. I wish I could say I had the willpower to change independently, but I didn’t. This simple yet powerful question from ScreenZen has helped me disconnect and connect more with people and things right before me.
*as the app is relatively new, it is free right now, with a “tip” option if you choose to support it. There are no ads.
