Ah, Labor Day. It’s your last opportunity to wear white jeans (if you follow that rule, which I recommend you don’t) and the unofficial end to the three months of summer. No matter what you’re doing over the long weekend—whether you’re stay-cationing, spending time with family, or heading to the pool or beach—it’s worth trying to disconnect from your phone, even if it’s only for a couple of hours. It’s hard to enjoy whatever you’re doing when you’re constantly looking at what other people are up to. Obviously, FOMO isn’t the most relaxing feeling.
Here are a few tips for people who want to experiment with signing off in whatever way they see fit.
To reduce any social worry, go ahead and preemptively tell those close to you that you won't be posting or responding as quickly as you usually do. That might mean sending a “ttyl” text in the morning, or replying to a message with, “Sorry, just saw this! I’ve been off my phone a bit today.” That way, you won't feel guilty about anything you miss, people won’t be expecting a speedy response, and you won’t have the, “What if they think I’m dead?!?!” excuse to constantly check your texts.
If you decide to watch a movie, have everyone put their phones away. Or if you go for a walk, have everyone leave their phones at home—one person can bring hers in case of emergency. Plan a day full of activities so you know you won’t be tempted to sit at home scrolling. Besides, if you’ve got face-to-face interaction with your crew, then you’ll have no need to text each other, anyway.
Figure out where you’re going to eat and what you’re going to do ahead of time. That way, you won’t spend 30 minutes surfing Instagram for the best place to grab a bite or figuring out what movie to see. Think ahead about downtime activities, too. While sitting by the pool seems ideal, the reality is that it's tricky being content while doing nothing, especially if you're not used to the feeling. Resist temptation by bringing something else to do, whether it's a book, playing cards, a journal, or coloring books.
If you’re by a body of water, you can try kayaking, canoeing, or biking for an afternoon—all activities where it'll be easy to leave your phone behind. Nothing like the fear of your phone sinking to the bottom of a lake or getting crushed to sway your need for it! You can also take a yoga class or, if you’re feeling more lethargic, go to the movie theater—both are places where phones are discouraged.
If you know that you’re the type to open Snapchat on autopilot, sign out of all of your social media accounts; the easy access to endless scrolling won't be so easy. Then, you'll be prompted to sign in if you open any of these apps. That extra (and annoying) step will remind you of your original intentions.
If you absolutely have to be on your phone, download Moment to help you limit your mobile time. Moment tracks the time you spend on your phone and allows you to set limits for yourself, offering reminders when you're getting close to that time limit or when you've gone over. It will also alert you when you've spent more than 15 minutes at once on your cell.
