Do You Want To Improve Your Mental Health? Spend Less Time On Your Smartphone!

If you’re like most people, you probably spend a lot of time on your smartphone. But did you know that this could be having a negative impact on your mental health?

Some potential negative effects of using smartphones include decreased mental health, decreased productivity, and addiction. Smartphone addiction has been found to lead to anxiety and depression, and can even be detrimental to relationships.

Symptoms of smartphone addiction include:

Disruption of your sleep patterns which can negatively impact your memory, impair your cognitive function, and reduce your cognitive and learning abilities.
A reduction in your ability to think creatively and solve problems.
An increase in anxiety, depression, and loneliness.
Anxiety and depression, as well as other mental health problems.
A decrease in productivity, as well as motivation and concentration.

The Science – smartphone use impacts mental health

A study published in the journal of the American Psychological Association found that participants who spend less time on their smartphone reported feeling less depressed and anxious and more satisfied with their lives.

In addition cutting down smartphone use led to them living a healthier lifestyle, with more time spent on exercise and less smoking.

Less smartphone, more exercise

It is well established that exercise gives our mental health a big boost. It reduces our stress levels, improves our concentration, and helps control anxiety and depression symptoms. Anything that helps us exercise more is therefore likely to have a positive effect on our mental health. In addition exercise also has a positive impact on our emotions, mood, and energy levels.

Less smartphone, less cigarettes

Smoking is known to have a negative impact on our mental health. It can increase our stress levels, make us more prone to anxiety and depression, and worsen symptoms of mental illness. So it’s no surprise that giving up smoking can have a positive effect on our mental health.

So what can you do to reduce your smartphone use and improve your mental health?

Here are a few tips:

Set limits for yourself on how much time you can spend on your phone each day. Once you reach your limit, put your phone away and do something else.
Make sure to take breaks throughout the day to move your body and get some fresh air.
Spend time with people you care about and put away your phone during social interactions.
Identify what apps or activities on your phone are most addictive for you and limit your use of them.
And finally, remember that you don’t have to be perfect. Reducing your smartphone use even by a little bit can still have positive benefits for your mental health.

The good news is that you don’t have to cut out smartphone use totally – even a one hour reduction was enough to start seeing benefits.

So why not try spending less time on your phone today? You may find that you feel better mentally and physically as a result.