A couple weeks ago I decided to start using the iPhone setting that allows me to set screen time limits. I’ve heard of others who use this as a way to cut down on the amount of time they spend playing Candy Crush or binging on Netflix. That wasn’t my issue and so for over a year I thought this wasn’t something I needed at all. But then I started sleeping poorly and in those hours in the middle of the night when I was wide awake, or the times I was tossing and turning in bed, I found myself reaching more and more for my phone. I know all about the harmful effects of blue light of the smartphone and the production of melatonin, but I was awake anyway, so it didn’t matter. Right?

While I didn’t think I needed it, I decided to give it a try - more so I could recommend it to others who might need it and less for my own personal gain. Obviously, I had a lot to learn. My phone goes into Downtime mode from 8:30pm (the time I am usually trying to wind down for bed) and 7:00am (the time each morning I am usually done praying and ready to begin the work portion of my day). After only 2 weeks using the screen time limits I’ve already seen a number of results.

In case you don’t know how it works… when the clock hits 8:30 basically every app on the phone goes gray. I’m talking every game, photo app, social media outlet, news program, etc… If you click the icon a reminder will pop up saying you are in Downtime. You can choose to override the whole system for the rest of the time or for the next 15 minutes.

7 Unexpected Results from Implementing Screen Time Limits:

One:: I’m sleeping better.
Somehow with all the apps out of commission and my smartphone operating as purely an alarm clock, I’m getting more and better sleep. The number of nights in which I have gotten 8 hours of sleep has more than doubled from the 2 weeks prior.

Two:: I’m using apps with more intentionality.
Since I know the app is going to shut down at 8:30pm and be unavailable until 7:00 the next morning, I’m more focused on the time I do have on the app. I’m often on my phone at 8pm and thinking about how I should best spend the next 30 minutes. It has lead to less wasted time and more productive time.

Three:: I was relying on the phone as a crutch (especially when tired).
When I was tired and lacked energy to do much of anything, it was really easy to fall into a pattern of just being on my phone. Maybe that meant scrolling through Instagram, or rechecking emails, or playing Toon Blast (my favorite game), or making a new Spotify playlist, or creating another to-do list, or editing more photos. Whatever it was I was doing, it was more a crutch than an effective use of time.

Four:: I don’t need to read before falling asleep.
For years, I would read before falling asleep thinking that the peaceful practice of reading helped slow my mind down and prepare my body for bed. My reading for at least the last 5 years has pretty much been exclusively on my phone, which means I have my phone screen directly in front of me as I try to ready for bed. Not a great practice in retrospect, and one that I apparently don’t need. Full disclosure, I have reached for it multiple times to read a little before bed. In a couple instances, I have taken the 15 minutes of additional time allotted and read for that time period, but after that I put the phone to charge and don’t look at it again that night.

Five:: I have more peace of mind.
As someone who makes her living through social media platforms, it can be scary the amount of time and mental space that I dedicate to the stats and numbers. It’s an endless process of assessing posts for their reach and their engagement, comparing posts to previous ones and those of others, etc.. It’s part of the job, and a part I actually enjoy. But it can also be a part of the job that creeps into times and spaces when it isn’t needed. I don’t need to check my numbers just before bed or right when I wake up. The numbers will be there at noon, and my checking isn’t going to make any difference.

Six:: I’m more present in my prayer.
Usually I take my phone with me as I spend 30 minutes in prayer/meditation each morning. I jot down inspirations or questions that I have. I pull up a passage from a book to use as fodder for my prayer. But with the Downtime limit still in place, the phone quickly became something I couldn’t use for those things. And something I noticed I didn’t need. In fact, something that much to my chagrin, was more of a hindrance than a help to deep prayer. As a result of the better time of prayer I have in the morning, I’ve begun leaving my phone in another room when I meditate in the afternoon as well. I take an old school notebook for anything I need to make a note of. What a difference it’s made. (Curious about how to start meditating daily? There’s a post about that.)

Seven:: I’m acting less out of impulse and more from intention.
You know how with a smartphone near by you have the answer to any random question that comes to mind? Well, I love that about smartphones and use it - more than I should. What’s the weather going to be like a week from today? I’ll check AccuWeather. When will likes be disappearing from US-based Instagram accounts? I’ll read a few news article on that. When’s the next Cubs homegame? I’ll just open the ESPN app quickly. What’s the name of that book I read 4 years ago about that girl… You get the picture.

When that immediacy is removed, it’s made me think more clearly about the things I’m looking up. Do I need to know this information or this pure curiosity and therefore a waste of time? That way of thinking has translated into the daytime when I have my phone readily at hand, which in turn has made me more focused on whatever task I’m in the midst of.

Have you tried the Screen Limits Downtime option? How has it helped you?