3 tips to spend less time online

Many of us would like to spend less time online engrossed in our screens, but how can we break the habit? Journalist Jocelyn de Kwant offers three tips for avoiding the internet temptation. 

• Turn off notifications
  Everything that rings, beeps or flashes is a distraction – not only to you but also to those around you. We tend to make new information a priority and, on top of that, it’s hard not to be curious or to think: It might be important. Keep your phone on silent and only peek at it every once in a while.
• Designate time
  To end your phone-checking habit, start splitting your day into online and offline blocks of time. “The capacity to think about our own behavior is limited,” says social psychologist Ap Dijksterhuis. “Most of our behavior is determined by routine – devoid of critical thinking.” Choose a time when you’d like to be offline an let those around you know. They’ll quickly get used to it (and so will you). For extra support, you can use the Freedom app – tell it how long you want to be offline and it blocks everything (except for phone calls).