30 Micro-habits to Reduce Screen time

I'm guilty of too much screen time, so I'm trying these little micro habits

Sep 05, 2025

Random Observation/Comment #894: I want to be more intentionally present.

//Generated with ChatGPT where I look a little bit too much like a young Nick Cage. I’m fine with this.

Why this List?

My wife says I’m addicted to my screen. This is true. If I want to be a good example to my daughter, I think I’ll need to create some simple rules to follow. As in all my lists of 30 writings, I’ve implemented these in a pretty extreme way and we’ll see what sticks.

No Screens at Meals - Dinner time is for chewing and chatting. We have to explicitly say what we’re doing on our phone if it adds to the dinner table conversation. Headphones off. This has been pretty doable. I’ve also found that I can’t use my phone when I’m cooking, so my cooking time becomes my screen-free time.
Charging Station Jail - All devices get locked up in one place overnight. When Evie gets her phone, I may have to constitute this process. Do I really need to use my phone after she goes to bed? Probably not.
Analog Alarm Clocks - Replace morning phone alarm with a classic ring. This should help with the charging station part.
10-Minute Buffer Rule - Start and end the day with 10 screen-free minutes to reset your brain. As with other addictions, the first thing I do should not be to go to my phone for checking notifications (even if I’m using the bathroom).
Read Together, Not Scroll Together - Designate 20 minutes of quiet reading instead of quiet scrolling. This makes sense during her bedtime. Use the phone just for the lullaby music and take the time to self meditate.
Sticker Chart for Screen-Free Wins - Gamify it for the kids (and adults that act as kids). Reward consistency.
Mute Notifications all around - I’m a big fan of going into my phone and removing a majority of the notifications. I think email and Signal are the only ones that come up now. I can probably filter further to just messages and calls from my wife.
Put the phone into Sleep mode after 10pm (this is a nice Digital Sunset) - This is a great setting because the phone goes black and white (and probably runs slower).
Screen-Free Zones - No devices in the bedroom, bathroom, or bathtub (duh).
Use the TV, Not Phones - If you’re going to watch something, watch it together. No phones during TV (unless it’s urgent). It’d be better to just watch TV from the expensive setup rather than staring at a tiny screen in the dark.
The “Look Up” Game - Randomly say “Look up!” and give out high-fives for compliance.
Screen-Free / Screen-Limited Sundays - One day a week try to keep that day under 30% of normal use.
Use a Real Camera or limit posting times - Vacations feel more magical when you're not posting them live. We can create a 24 hour embargo on your days’ posting photos.
30-Second Dance Breaks - I think it’d be fun to put into the alarm a reminder for breaks. You’re much less of a screen zombie if you’re dancing.
Screens Only After Chores - Clean first, scroll later. I think we can write out the chores checklist or put together a bucket of scraps of paper with non-screen related activities. We just need to do some of these if we feel the urge.
Scheduled Screen Hours - Declare a family window for TV or tablet use. I think this discipline will help both ways. From the parent side, we can set up limited app screen times.
Hide Your Apps - Make social media apps harder to access by burying them and changing up the personal home screen once in a while. We need to make it easier to do harder things so maybe you’d rather open a notes app and write something than scroll someone else’s creations.
Delete the games - I just looked at my Homescapes game and I am on level 8820. That’s a whole lot of playing on this game for the past 15+ years. If I play a game too much, I’ll often just uninstall it. I do think a Chess puzzle, Sudoku, Crossword, or Balatro is super useful for keeping the mind sharp. I have been trying to write my own ad-free games to replace the ones on my phone.
Board Game Nights - This is a great tradition all around. I’ve found myself smiling much more when I smile with family.
Leave the House Without It - Take walks or errands without a phone. Feels like the ‘90s. This is probably the hardest thing I’ve done. It’s just a walk around the block, what can happen? Do I really need to fill it with a podcast?
Weekly Screen Audit - As a family, look at screen time reports and set mini-goals. I feel like there’s a level of shame in this when we share the weekly audit report and it shows the high number of hours.
Reward Screen-Free Time with Experiences - One hour unplugged? Earn a family hike or a date night. We can come up with fun rewards for this.
Co-View and Co-Play - Watch what they’re watching. Play what they’re playing. I think this is undervalued as a good way of using screens together.
Name the Feeling Before the Scroll - Ask: “Am I bored, anxious, or just habit-scrolling?” This is more for monitoring and understanding your feelings for reaching to the screen.
Make Waiting Time Creative Time - Bring sketchpads, puzzles, or books when out. Maybe a puzzle like a rubix cube will help with solving problems and fidgeting.
Airplane Mode = Focus Mode - Switch it on for work, homework, or bonding. I think Airplane mode and Sleep mode can be interchangeable. If your phone doesn’t have access to the web then maybe it doesn’t make you connect to distractions.
Plan your Digital Consumption - We often just open the apps because it’s a habit and we know it’ll give us a dopamine hit. To make this a little more intentional, perhaps we don’t use the “Explore” easy swipes, but instead say “I’d like to look up travel places for the next 30 minutes and only research within this topic.” or “I’m planning to rewatch all of 24. Let’s watch one episode today.”
Pause Before Pressing Play - Ask yourself (or your kiddo): “Do I really want to watch/play this?” and “What can I do with the knowledge of this video?” Not everything needs to be connected to productivity, but I think this is a good exercise of pausing the habit.
Every time you touch your phone, do another habit - For example, I’ve been taking a sip of water and doing some bicep curls. I am now extremely hydrated and my arms are sore (but look awesome).
Celebrate Screen-Free Wins - Treat the week’s unplugged moments with some fun rewards. This can be discussed with everyone.