Our phones have become a part of our daily lives. Not only do we use them for hours upon hours a day, but they are also a tool we cannot part with. They can be highly customized as well, allowing to accomplish so much on the go. Of course, just as you can download apps that help you be more productive, so too can you download apps whose goal is to specifically waste your time. Social media, in particular, is designed to be addictive, and as many studies have concluded, this addiction is not helping us feel better about ourselves.

We need to all reevaluate our relationship with our phones so that we can use it as the tool it is and not fall victim to its distractions. To do this, all you need to do is follow this guide.

Clear Out the Clutter on Your Phone

The first step is to, of course, clear out all the clutter from your phone. Chances are you have apps that you downloaded out of curiosity and have never used. These apps don't have a place on your phone just as an unworn garment has no place in your wardrobe. Clear them out so that you only have the apps you use left.

Ask Yourself How You Want to Use Your Phone

Once all the clutter is gone, you can more accurately see what apps you use. On the iPhone, you can now also see how you use these apps and for how long, allowing you to make better decisions about your usage. If you are addicted to social media, for example, and spend four hours or more a day scrolling through feeds out of boredom, then you might want to consider a different approach. Everyone is different, however, so do what feels right to you.

Replace them with Apps That Can Help Improve Your Life

Replace the apps that distract you and add nothing with ones that can instead improve yourself as a person. Examples include:

1. Book Apps

Read fiction, read poetry, read biographies or anything in-between. By merely reading, we benefit our minds so much. We can reduce our stress, improve our ability to focus, and most of all increase our vocabulary and brush up on our grammar.

2. Education Apps

Today, learning is entirely in your hands – quite literally. With the new edX training app, you can take university courses entirely for free. This app includes 2000+ courses, from data science and big data analytics to human psychology to machine learning and artificial intelligence. With 2000 plus courses in a variety of subjects such as law, art and health and wellness, whatever you desire to learn, the edX online training app is ideal for those who wish to explore their educational options and learn something new.

With help from the edX app, learn from the greats at MIT, Harvard, Microsoft, and so much more in topics that are interesting to you, and you will improve your skills, wellbeing, and even your job prospects all at once.

3. News Apps

Keeping up to date with news that you care about can help you become a more informed individual. It is also great if you ever need conversation pointers. 

Once you clear out the distractions and work on improving your phone usage, you can start to take control of your life. Be more, do more, learn more through your phone, but don’t waste time on apps that only make you feel worse about yourself.