Life Kit How to get better at staying off your phone
82 snips
Mar 10, 2026 
Sammy Nichols, author of Log Off, shares quick techniques for noticing how scrolling makes you feel and setting phone boundaries. Jose Briones, author of Low Tech Life, talks about switching to simpler phones and recovering offline habits. They cover urge-surfing, adding friction like passcodes and grayscale, keeping devices out of the bedroom, and using reclaimed time for real-life priorities.
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Track Feelings Before You Scroll
- Notice how you feel before, during, and after you reach for your phone to identify emotional triggers for scrolling.
- Sammy Nichols recommends tracking feelings and choosing alternatives like naps or calling a friend when scrolling stems from feeling bad.
Surf The Urge Instead Of Giving In
- Resist the urge to pick up your phone by 'urge surfing'—observe the craving and let it rise and fall without acting.
- Diana Hill explains urges behave like waves; practicing surfing reduces the compulsion to give in.
Make Using Your Phone Harder
- Increase friction to reduce phone use: disable notifications, grayscale the screen, simplify your home screen, or remove apps to browsers only.
- Jose Briones and BJ Fogg suggest making actions harder or removing prompts so the habit breaks.
