Self-Improvement 3 Realistic Strategies for Reducing Your Screen Time How to Develop a Healthier Relationship With Your Digital Devices By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, the author of the bestselling book "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," and the host of The Verywell Mind Podcast. Learn about our editorial process Updated on March 12, 2021 Print Verywell / Hetal Rathod Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Friday Fix: Episode 55 More About the Podcast Every Friday on The Verywell Mind Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Amy Morin, LCSW, shares the “Friday Fix”—a short episode featuring a quick, actionable tip or exercise to help you manage a specific mental health issue or concern. Subscribe Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts Friday Fix: Episode 55 For most of us, our days revolve around screen time. We stare at our computers to work. We use our phones to socialize. We watch TV for entertainment. But too much screen time can cause added stress and drain our mental strength. Excessive screen time has been linked to everything from relationship issues to increased mental health problems. Screen time can also interfere with sleep, reduce productivity, and take a toll on our physical health. And while there are many recommendations out there about the importance of reducing screen time, actually doing so isn’t always easy. We know that staring at social media and "doomscrolling" through news stories isn’t good for our health. Yet sometimes we feel compelled to keep doing these things anyway. If you’ve found yourself staring at more than one screen at a time, you’re not alone. Scrolling through the phone while sitting in front of the TV is a common practice that leaves us feeling dissatisfied. On today’s Friday Fix episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, I share how to keep your screen time from draining the mental strength you need to be your best. Tune in for three realistic strategies to incorporate into your life so that you can enjoy the moment more and be less glued to your many devices. More About the Podcast The Verywell Mind Podcast is available across all streaming platforms. If you like the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews and ratings are a great way to encourage other people to listen and help them prioritize their mental health too. Links and Resources Follow Amy Morin on Instagram Check Out Amy's Books on Mental Strength How to Cope With Zoom Fatigue 7 Ways Your Smartphone Can Help You Become Mentally Stronger The Effects of Smartphones on the Brain 5 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Sbarra, D., Briskin, J. L., & Slatcher, R. B. Smartphones and Close Relationships: The Case for an Evolutionary Mismatch. 2018. Smith L, Jacob L, Trott M, et al. The association between screen time and mental health during COVID-19: A cross sectional study. Psychiatry Res. 2020;292:113333. Hale L, Kirschen GW, LeBourgeois MK, et al. Youth Screen Media Habits and Sleep: Sleep-Friendly Screen Behavior Recommendations for Clinicians, Educators, and Parents. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2018;27(2):229-245. Duke, E, Montag, C. Smartphone addiction, daily interruptions and self-reported productivity. Addictive Behaviors Reports. 2017: 6; 90-95. Maricarmen Vizcaino, Matthew Buman, Tyler DesRoches, Christopher Wharton. From TVs to tablets: the relation between device-specific screen time and health-related behaviors and characteristics. BMC Public Health, 2020; 20 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-09410-0 By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and international bestselling author. Her books, including "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," have been translated into more than 40 languages. Her TEDx talk, "The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong," is one of the most viewed talks of all time. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Speak to a Therapist Online Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.