If you’re reading this you’re on a device — a laptop, iPad or a cellphone.

The world is such that you can’t do anything without being connected, going online or downloading the app to begin with. That means, you have to have a cellphone, iPad, tablet or even a second cellphone maybe. We are in a fast growing digital world and people are not just addicted but dependent on these devices. They are the drug of the digital age.

How many times do you pick up your phone or any other device, just because?

Other than scrolling aimlessly for hours, things get pretty bad when your morning routine includes checking your phone first thing, so you have all those apps opened even before both your eyes are.

At the rate things are going it’s safe to say there’s no going offline — especially when payments are required to be done online. It’s is important to find a way to manage this habit of using your device mindlessly.

The use of devices have a subtle but dangerous effect on the brain, body and behavior. To protect your energy, time and attention, it’s crucial to create healthy habits that won’t draw you to your device unnecessarily.

The issue is self-control — using your device more than you need to.

Now that we found the problem, let’s look at some solutions.

1.Don’t use your phone first thing in the morning —

Firstly, placing your phone away from your bed or nightstand will reduce your expose to radiation, so big yes to that! Second, your morning routine should be about feeling refreshed, amped up and ready to perform at an optimal level. By picking up your phone to do anything unproductive is only going to drain your precious energy and waste minutes of a day waiting for you to take the best of what it has to offer.

2. Set a time to scroll —

A lot of the time time you’re using the device with no purpose and no intention. You take the device out anywhere, anytime and open an app to kill time in a queue, traffic and in the middle of an awkward conversation. Overtime its becomes a habit to have the device in your hand to spare you 15 seconds of doing nothing. To change this, you need to use your device for a purpose and for a certain amount of time. This way you can really enjoy the feeling, give your time and energy to your device, knowing that you’re not in the middle of driving or completing some other task. Start by setting an hour a day to scroll.

3. Say “not now” to notifications —

One of the main reasons people get stuck on their devices is because of notifications as those sounds are dopamine inducing. You hear a ding or a ring you get this urge to grab your phone and see what’s going on. Once you open an app there’s a sounds, colors and movement that keeps you hooked and wanting more. Turing off notifications until you complete your tasks and while you sleep for instance, gives you freedom and focus to complete your tasks, uninterrupted.

4. Move away from the device —

Ever hear the expression “out of sight, out of mind”? Physically separating yourself from your device allows you to focus on other tasks and leaves no room for the temptation to scroll aimlessly.

5. Ask yourself why —

Why do you want to open the app? What do you want to do on the device? Your answers will help you to make the better decision.

When your head is glued to a screen it holds you back from experiencing awareness and mindfulness of yourself and your surroundings. It also makes you feel like you either can’t have a good time without it when the truth is, there is a whole life to live, a real life, better than any aesthetically pleasing posts, if only you lifted your head and saw what’s right in front of you.