6 Small Steps, Big Changes. How to Reclaim Your Life from Your Phone And Doom-Scrolling
Image Description: A young woman sits in her home at night, with lights on outside her window. She's on her smart phone, and the screen light is reflecting on her face. Image credit: Pexels. By: Mikoto
We all know the feeling. You glance at your phone for a quick check, and suddenly, it's two hours later. Whether it’s doom scrolling before bed for hours or reaching for your phone the moment you wake up, our devices have an almost magical (actually, chemical) ability to pull us in.
And as a chronically online content creator, trust me, I get it — the struggle is real. But over time, through endless hours of podcast listening and personal growth digesting, I’ve learnt some simple, effective ways to break the cycle of constant distraction.
Spoiler: None of these are perfect fixes, but together, they’ve helped me take back a little more control of my time.
Turn Off Notifications for Social Apps
The first step to regaining control is deceptively simple: turn off notifications for social apps. Those pings, dings, and vibrations?
They’re designed to pull you back in, dragging your focus to whatever’s happening on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.
By turning off notifications, you give yourself the freedom to engage when you decide, not when your phone commands you.
It’s amazing how much calmer and more focused life can feel when you're not reacting to a never-ending stream of notifications.
2.Put Your Phone Charger in Another Room
I know, this one sounds hard, but trust me, it's a game changer. Charge your phone in another room before bed.
Yes, you’ll probably have a few restless moments wondering what brain rotting content is calling your name. But the beauty of this habit is that it creates physical distance between you and your device, making it much harder to give in to temptation.
When your phone is out of reach, you’re more likely to wind down properly at night — and we all know how important that is for mental health.
Plus, without the option to mindlessly scroll first thing in the morning, you're setting yourself up for a more peaceful and intentional start to the day. A win-win!
3. Download a Self-Control App
Sometimes, we need a little extra help staying accountable, and that’s where apps like Opal come in.
These self-control apps allow you to block distracting applications, or even set specific time limits for how long you can use them.
The best part?
They make it a lot harder to mindlessly open your favourite time-wasting app when you’re bored.
It’s not about never using your phone — let’s be real, that’s not happening. It’s about using it more mindfully. With a bit of structure in place, it becomes easier to stop yourself from falling into an endless scroll without even realising it.
Opal has a wonderful free plan app for your phone. I’ve bought the paid version once or twice now, and do recommend that too. You can do their 4min quiz here to get a fright to learn how many years you’re going to spend in front of your little screen.
The Self Control app is great for your MAC, it does require you turning it on though, rather than an auto turn on at a particular time.
4. Use Instagram’s “Take a Break” Feature
Instagram’s “take a break” feature is a fantastic tool that prompts you to step away after you’ve been scrolling for a while.
Sometimes we don't even realise how much time has passed — I mean, who hasn’t lost a whole afternoon to Reels? By using this feature, you’ll get gentle nudges reminding you to, well, take a break.
You might not follow the suggestion every time, but even just seeing the reminder can help you be more conscious of your screen time. And that’s the whole point — to become more mindful of how and when we engage with our phones.
To turn on this feature:
Tap your profile pic in the bottom right of your profile
Tap the three lines in the top right
Tap Time management
Select how often you’d like reminders. You can pick 10, 20 & 30 mins. Here you can also turn on Daily Limits and Sleep Mode, if you just want notifications turned off for particular periods.
5. Curate Your Social Feeds
This is a big one: unfollow or mute any accounts that negatively impact your mental health.
Your social media feeds should feel like a safe and inspiring space, not a source of anxiety or comparison. If certain accounts are making you feel worse, it’s time to cut them loose (or turn them down by muting them).
The beauty of social media is that you do have control over what you consume, and if something is contributing to a negative headspace, muting or unfollowing is an easy, effective way to protect your peace.
The more carefully you curate your digital environment, the more positive your online experience will be.
6. Progress, Not Perfection
Are any of these tips perfect? Absolutely not. Will you still find yourself reaching for your phone at times? Of course!
But here’s the thing: it’s not about being perfect. It’s about making small, manageable changes that, over time, add up to big improvements.
The core of self-improvement with any topic is about progress, not perfection. These tiny steps may seem insignificant by themselves, but together, they create a better relationship with your phone — and with yourself.
Reclaiming control over how you engage with your devices can help you feel more present, more focused, and ultimately, more in tune with what truly matters in your life.
At the end of the day, these tips are just tools to help you get a little bit better every day. No one has it all figured out, and that’s okay. The beauty is in the journey — and sometimes, all it takes is one small step to start.
I hope this encourages you to switch off and protect your mental health this week!
