For most people, spending time on social media, checking email, or responding to text messages isn’t exactly a mood booster. If anything, being at a social event can feel like a waste of time, even a distraction. What’s more, when you’re on vacation, whether alone, with friends, or with family, time spent on your phone is even more wasted.
In fact, the Finnish island of Ulko-Tammio has declared that it is a “cell phone-free island” during the summer, according to CNN. The move is aimed at helping people make the most of their holidays.
Experts say this little island is realizing something very important: Our phones have the potential to make travel completely pointless.
If we are just completely absorbed in our devices, then we are not truly present. We’re somewhere else, you know, we’re having a virtual conversation with a friend and then we get back into that drama or, we just keep getting pulled back by work emails.
We don’t get the really important changes of scene and different excitement, which I think is the whole point of Vacation.
You also don’t get to enjoy a refreshing, exciting and rejuvenating vacation. The whole purpose of changing our environment is to expose ourselves to something new and different and engage these different neural pathways.
Instead, you get stuck in a non-vacation pattern. The whole point of a vacation is to experience new things.
If people are addicted to their phones, then it really just confirms our inability to expand ourselves, evolve, grow, and have new experiences. And, the vacation experience is really about enjoying each other and enjoying the experience.
But just because we know being addicted to our phones isn’t good, doesn’t mean giving it up entirely isn’t difficult. To help combat this, experts share some tips for using your phone less during your next trip:
Start small.
You can still use your phone while on vacation (turning it off completely can be very stressful), but using it less will help you have a more enjoyable trip.
For example, don’t check your phone the first thing you do on a weekday, but just check it later.
Have breakfast before checking your phone or power off hours before bed instead of after going to bed.
Behaviours like this can help develop vacation habits and may even penetrate into your daily life.
If you are willing to spend more time without your phone, you can try to spend a day or an afternoon without it, such as when traveling or on a short trip. You can also set the specified phone duration, such as viewing the phone at the beginning of the day or at some time in the afternoon. That way, you will know that you haven’t missed any important updates from your family.
Decouple the camera function from your phone.
If you’re like most people, you rely on your smartphone’s camera during the holidays, whether you’re taking photos of your kids, parents, attractions, or yourself.
This makes it difficult to leave your phone at the hotel while traveling. You can put your phone into airplane mode when you’re out and about, which will still allow you to use the camera but turn off those incoming messages and alerts. This way, you won’t be tempted to check text messages or emails, but you can still snap photos of your family in the new place.(And if you end up needing your phone for directions or a translation app, you can turn off airplane mode.)
What’s more, those who own a physical camera can rely on it on the go.
Designate one person in your group as the ‘phone person’ for the day.
This can help reduce the risk of two people getting stressed out by checking their phones, and it can also eliminate the possibility of everyone on the team staring at their phones.
Additionally, if you’re traveling without a map app and worried about getting lost, this method allows you to still use your phone for any logistical needs.
Put your phone out of sight.
The adage “out of sight, out of mind” exists for a reason. It is recommended to put your phone in your bag at times that are suitable for conversation, such as during meals.
If phones are visible, people will always want to pick them up, look at them, play with them, check social media.
If they are not visible and place them in a bag locked under the table during meals. This is a great way to enjoy conversation over lunch or at the dinner table.
Choose a lock screen that encourages you to put down your phone.
You can use the lock screen as a reminder to limit your screen time.
An image on your lock screen that you can use like a real estate ad to give yourself a message to remind yourself what you would rather do than make a phone call.
This could be a photo of your family, a quote calling your attention, or even a photo of an actual stop sign. This should be an image that makes you stop and think about what you are doing.
You may still use your phone, but at least you’re using it consciously instead of just mindlessly scrolling and just picking up your phone without even realizing what you’re doing, which is classic addictive behavior.
Additionally, this strategy takes advantage of the reality that you’re probably looking at your phone a lot, but uses that reality in a productive and constructive way to try to limit phone use.
Consider turning off the Wi-Fi.
This isn’t always an option – for example, you can’t turn off Wi-Fi in a hotel – but, if possible, it’s recommended that you turn off Wi-Fi at set times – mainly if: you stay in an Airbnb or similar home rental company.
Here’s why doing this is so important.
It’s hard for anyone to be present when they’re holding a cell phone and focused on it. I’m sure you’ve had the experience of sitting at a table and instead of talking to each other, people are texting their friends on their phones.
Plus, when you’re on vacation and scrolling through photos, news, and posts, you don’t allow yourself to be present during a time that could cost you a lot of money.
A change is as good as a break. I don’t think we get that change during the holidays because it’s so similar – what we hear, what we see and what we touch.
If our senses were really drawn to our smartphones and we weren’t looking, we wouldn’t smell delicious food, the smell of flowers, and the feel of sand.If we weren’t truly engaging our senses, then we wouldn’t be there. You know?So if we’re just watching the same stuff, we might as well stay home.
And, do you really want to go home instead of taking a European vacation or a cross-country road trip? No, probably not.