Have you ever wanted to stop zombie scrolling and use your phone with greater intention?

At some point or another, we’ve all found ourselves scrolling mindlessly on our phones for hours at a time, then looking back and thinking, “How did that happen? What did I accomplish??” 

It’s very frustrating, to say the least.

Before I took control of my screen usage, I did this almost every day. At the end of each evening, I would feel so guilty that I had wasted so much time and hadn’t gotten to do the things I had really wanted to do. It led to a lot of self-loathing and discouragement.

If you’ve experienced this, please DO NOT feel guilty. Do not blame yourself!

Tech companies spend billions of dollars to make your phone as addicting as possible, which means that it is NOT YOUR FAULT that your brain loves to get sucked into TikTok videos and newsfeed updates.

All we can do is build habits that retrain our brains to fight back against this addiction.

I want to introduce to you: Intentional Phone Use, a ONE-STEP trick to making sure you only use your phone the way that YOU want to use it. This is one of the biggest secrets to reducing your screen time and living your life to the fullest. 

If you’re tired of pointless videos and memes wasting too much of your time, if you’re sick of feeling guilty for spending too much of your life on your phone, you need to try this!

By the way, if you’re serious about taking back control over your phone, I highly recommend you check out these steps. This is what allowed me to reclaim over 2,190 hours of time that I would have normally spent mindlessly scrolling on social media.

Here’s the secret to using your phone with intention:

Before you pick up your phone (EVERY TIME you pick up your phone), say out loud your specific intention for using it. In other words, audibly speak what you’re going to do and why.

Phrase it like this:

“I am going to __________ so that ____________.”

For example:

“I am going to check the weather forecast for this afternoon so that I will know if I should bring a jacket.”

“I am going to look up ‘How to fix a clogged pipe’ on YouTube so that I can fix the clogged pipe in the bathroom.”

“I am going to check Isabel’s Facebook profile so that I can remember what dates she said she would be in town.”

It’s that simple! Say your intention out loud (whether you’re alone or with other people) every time you pick up your phone, and then only do what you said you were going to do.

Why Should You Do This?

Reason #1: It helps you remember why you picked up your phone in the first place.

Be honest, have you ever picked up your phone and immediately thought…. “Wait, what was I going to do?” Or maybe you’ve opened Instagram, wanting to check on something specific, but you got distracted by the first picture you saw and started scrolling. Fifteen minutes later, you think, “wait, what was I going to check?”

Yeah, we’ve all been there.

Speaking your intention out loud will solidify it in your mind so that you don’t forget or get distracted before you can do it.

Reason #2: It will help you decide if you REALLY want to get on your phone.

You may find that the first part of the sentence is easy to fill in – what you want to do online.

However, the “so that” part might be a little difficult to justify.

If you push yourself to complete the sentence, you may find yourself thinking, “I am going to check Instagram so that….. *crickets*……”

So that what?

Usually, the answer is not very clear, right? Why are you getting on Instagram in the first place? 

This is a good opportunity to dig deep down and get to the nitty-gritty of why you gravitate towards a certain app. In fact, this might uncover some harsh truths.

For example, you might tell yourself:

“I’m getting on Instagram so that I can see what my friends are up to.”

Dig deeper. Ask yourself, Why do I want to see what my friends are up to?

So that I can be jealous of them? 

So that I can feel better about myself?

So I can feel worse about myself?

Of course, not all reasons have to be so nefarious, but this is a good opportunity for you to be honest with yourself. If you don’t have a good reason for getting on the app, or if you don’t have a reason that you feel truly good about, DON’T DO IT.

Important Note!

This intention statement is purposefully worded with a “so that” instead of a “because” for a reason. 

See the contrast in these two sentences:

It’s a simple shift in language, but it can completely alter the way you use your phone.

Don’t let yourself change the structure of the intention and say “I am going to watch TikTok videos because I’m bored.” Ideally, your intention should lead to an offscreen activity that fulfills your life. That’s what phones are best used for!

So, next time you feel bored, instead of thinking, “I’m going to look on Pinterest because I’m bored,” try saying, “I’m going to look on Pinterest for painting projects to do so that I can do one.”

Reason #3: It will show respect for the people around you.

As I said before, you should speak this intention out loud, whether you’re alone or with other people.

Noooo, not around other people! I hear you say.

You may think it sounds cringey and embarrassing, but in most cases, it actually is a polite thing to do.

If you want to do something on your phone that you would be embarrassed about other people hearing, DON’T DO IT. At least, not at that moment when you’re around them. Instead, enjoy their company and strengthen those offscreen connections.

My boyfriend and I do this when we’re around each other. Not only does it help us each individually by remembering to use our phones intentionally, but it shows respect to each other.

If I say, “I’m going to look up the hours for this restaurant so that I know what time we need to leave,” my boyfriend knows what I’m doing. He isn’t wondering if I interrupted our conversation to check Facebook. 

Plus, if he sees I’m still using my phone after a few minutes, he can check with me: “Hey, did you get the answer to your question? What are you doing now?”

I highly recommend that you get into the habit of doing this around your partner, friends, and family members. You can explain to them, “Hey, I’m trying to be more intentional about how I use my phone. To do this, I’m going to be stating out loud my intention for my phone use every time I pick it up, so don’t be surprised if you hear me saying it.”

They’ll understand. They might even want to try to do it themselves!

Another Important Note 🙂

You should do this every time you pick up your phone, and every time you have a new intention, repeat the exercise.

For example, after you complete your first intention, you may suddenly remember that you need to check your email to see if you got a message from your sister. Instead of directly doing it, pause and put your phone down, say your intention sentence out loud, then complete your intention.

If it sounds annoying and time-consuming, trust me, it’s not. It takes soooo much less time than getting distracted with mindless internet surfing. 

I know you’ll be tempted to keep your phone in your hands while you switch intentions, but it’s very important that you put your phone DOWN while you say your intention. Or at the very least, close your eyes or look away from your screen. 

This will act as a mini reset of your brain so that you don’t feel like you’re on one long phone session. Each action you take on your phone will have its own intention and own purpose. You won’t get stuck scrolling without purpose. 

That means YOU will own your phone, not the other way around.

Conclusion

If you frequently feel like you waste too much time on your phone, give yourself some of that time back and start putting this into practice TODAY! 

It might take some practice to remember to do it instinctively, but once you commit to saying it each time you reach for your phone, I guarantee you will see a difference in the way you use your screen time.

Remember, just say out loud, “I am going to __________ so that ___________.”

And use all that time you save to do something that will make your life even more fulfilling and wonderful!

Best of luck!

Before You Go…

Using your phone with intention will seriously change your life. If you want extra guidance on how to reduce your phone use (and only use it at times that YOU want), I highly recommend checking out my course, “Take Control of Your Phone.” In it, I break down the psychology of phone use and how you can make changes in your life to reclaim 1-4 hours a day. It’s what has allowed me to save over 2,190 hours of time, increase my self-confidence, experience more productivity and creativity, and more. 🙂