9 Ways to Create Better Boundaries With Your Tech (When Your Tech Is Everywhere)

Technology is everywhere, from smartwatches and phones to laptops and tablets. Even if you try to keep your device stowed away in your bag on silent mode, you may need it for tasks like paying for coffee, accessing airline boarding passes, and monitoring health.

Technology is often touted for its capacity to make life more convenient, says Emma Duerden, PhD, an associate professor of applied psychology and the scientific lead of the Developing Brain research program (focused on how babies, children, and adolescents socialize and learn) at the University of Western Ontario in London. “But in turn, technology made it so much more complex.”

The occasional digital detox can help, but going off-grid isn’t always a viable option when daily life relies on devices. Luckily, research supports several strategies you can use to reduce your screen time without ditching your device completely.

1. Get Familiar With How Your Tech Use Makes You Feel

Begin by assessing your current tech habits, says Eric Robbins, MD, a psychiatrist and the founder of Blue Umbrella Psychiatry, a mental health services facility in Davie, Florida, who often treats patients struggling with excessive tech use. Start noticing when, how, and why you use different devices. Use that information to understand how your technology use affects your mental well-being, Dr. Robbins says.

If a tech tool or an app you use leaves you feeling drained or distracted, aim to cut back or remove it. For example, if you notice you are spending too much time scrolling on TikTok or Instagram and it’s causing you anxiety, delete the apps from your phone and instead access them through a computer, Dr. Duerden suggests.

2. Set Time Limits

The best way to prevent yourself from getting sucked in is to set screen time boundaries, Duerden says. Take advantage of Apple’s screen time settings and Android’s digital well-being settings to set limits for app use and schedule daily downtime. She suggests starting with a limit of two hours or less.

3. Silence Notifications

4. Batch Communication

Batching communication helps lessen the mental toll of constant notifications. Instead of responding to every notification when you receive it, set designated times for checking work emails, responding to personal texts, or looking at social media notifications, Duerden suggests.

Be sure to share your communication boundaries with others, especially in the workplace. For example, you can update your email signature or Slack bio with the specific hours you’re available to respond to messages.

5. Curate Your Social Media Feed

One way to manage digital fatigue is to curate your social media feeds, Duerden says. Notice how specific accounts make you feel and unfollow any that cause stress or encourage comparison.

6. Reclaim Your Downtime

And scrolling on your phone doesn’t count as true downtime because you are taking in information, Duerden says.

Try leaving electronics at your desk during your lunch break, keeping your phone in your bag on the subway or while in line for your morning coffee, or finding simple screen-free activities to fill your evening, Duerden suggests.

7. Downgrade Your Tech

Duerden also suggests finding different ways to complete tasks or swapping apps with low-tech or no-tech alternatives. Here are some examples.

• Get a physical alarm clock instead of setting your alarm on your phone.
• Buy or check out a physical book instead of reading on your phone.
• Pick up your local or favorite national newspaper instead of reading all your news online.
• Get a digital camera instead of only using your phone to take photos.

8. Establish a Tech-Free ‘Third Place’

A tech-free “third place,” or a space outside of work and home where you don’t use your devices, can make it easier to limit tech use within your weekly routine, Duerden says.

9. See a Mental Health Professional for Help

It may be time to seek help from a mental health professional if your device use is significantly affecting your relationships, mental health, productivity at work or school; if you experience significant monetary losses; if you’ve lost interest in in-person interactions; if you no longer find pleasure in non-tech activities you used to enjoy; or if scrolling has become compulsive, Duerden says.

A professional can help you break down your technology use and get to the root of the problem, Robbins explains. “The more we understand it, the more we can reduce it,” he says.