6 digital detox tips to reduce screen time and boost sleep and mood

What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? If you're like most Americans, you check your phone within 10 minutes of getting up.

Since smartphones were invented (the iPhone debuted in 2007), they've tightened their grip on the attention spans of both young people and adults.

Simply having and using a smartphone isn't necessarily the problem. Interestingly, one study found smartphone use in general had a minor impact on mood in adults.

Excessive smartphone use, however, has been linked to physical discomfort as well as loneliness, anxiety and depression. Some adults have said they struggled to balance their smartphone use for work versus personal time, as the devices added pressure to respond to work emails after hours, for example.

Why smartphones are hard to put down

"Smartphone app creators have cleverly figured out how to trigger the release of dopamine in users by keeping new content and notifications popping up whenever you unlock your phone," said Kevin Masterson, MD, a psychiatrist at Endeavor Health. "That makes smartphones incredibly hard to put down."

It's not an addiction the same way alcohol or drugs can cause dependence. But smartphone overuse shares some similarities to a substance use disorder - the dopamine reward, cravings, even withdrawal symptoms when you try to cut back.

That compulsion to pull out your phone is more like an addiction to the likes, comments, email notifications and engagement we receive through various apps on our smartphones.

Eliminating those notifications - setting your smartphone screen to grayscale is one tactic - could help reduce the pull of the small screen.

Signs you may need a digital detox

If you've been thinking about cutting back, it might be worth noting how screen time is affecting your daily life.

While you may not experience nomophobia, or "no mobile phone phobia," a fear or anxiety about being without a mobile device - even minor signs of overuse can affect wellbeing.

Common signs of smartphone overuse include:

• Trouble falling or staying asleep
• Increased stress or anxiety
• Fear of missing out that compels you to keep checking your phone
• Irritability or boredom when you can't check your phone
• Difficulty concentrating
• Using your phone when it's not safe, such as while driving
• Choosing to look at your phone instead of spending time with friends and family

Digital detox tips you can start today

Search "digital detox" online and you'll get results for more than 100 retreats designed to help you separate yourself from technology and reset your mind.

While a retreat may be a fun experience, you don't need one to have your own digital detox.

If turning your phone screen to grayscale wasn't enough to break the habit, there are things you can do.

"Before you make any changes, set some goals for what you want to accomplish," Dr. Masterson said. "After you begin, keep track of your phone use so you can see patterns over time. It might also help to make a list of activities you enjoy while offline."

Try these tactics for a digital detox:

1. Set boundaries for phone use. Make certain rooms or spaces - like the dinner table or bedroom - tech-free zones. Set a curfew for yourself to plug in your phone at night, and not in the bedroom. Commit to check email, texts and social media only during certain windows of time during the day.
2. Audit your notifications. Turn off notifications for apps that aren't important.
3. Use the phone's built-in features, like "do not disturb" and focus settings, to minimize distracting notifications.
4. Fill time you normally use for scrolling with a different activity. Go for a walk, read a book, clean out the garage - anything that gets you away from the screen.
5. Curate your screen. Delete apps that function primarily as time wasters.
6. Make your first hour and last hour screen-free. Commit to not picking up your phone during the first hour after you get up in the morning and the hour before you go to bed. Consider getting an alarm clock to not rely on your phone to wake up.

How will you know whether your digital detox was successful? You might start to notice you're getting better sleep, feeling a sense of calm, and being more productive.

As with other symptoms, if you feel like you struggle with sleep, stress or anxiety, talk to your primary care doctor about it. Endeavor Health experts can help you identify patterns, manage stress and build healthier habits around technology use.