7 Ways to End Your Cell Phone Addiction

By Christine Cashen

My husband and I attended Kevin Hart’s comedy show. Upon entering the American Airlines Center, we were greeted with a note that read “Cell Phones are prohibited before and during the show.” Seriously? How’s this going to work?

The announcer mentioned it more than 30 times (I kid you NOT!) and the giant overhead marquee kept flashing the same ominous message: NO PHONES. It was intriguing. Could people really be in the moment rather than capturing the moment?

Straight away, the gaggle of women behind me started talking about how they couldn’t handle it. I told my husband I’d take a video! What if my daughter runs out of gas? How are we going to make people jealous if we can’t take a selfie?

At that moment, an usher took a lighted glow stick from around her neck and began swinging it over her head. Then three burly men bustled down to the front section. The back of their shirts gave away their job description — “Cell Phone Patrol.” I watched as they tapped people on the shoulders and escorted them OUT (Seriously…these people paid for tickets and were literally ushered OUT!).

The gaggle behind me got silent. Power off.

How hard is it? How addicted are you? Based on high-level intel (the emcee), we learned that 183 people were ejected from the show the night before. Who knows how many were escorted out during our night.  I know we witnessed about 25 people getting the boot.

I’ve written many blogs about phone addiction, but we still need help. Here are some suggestions to help you be in the moment.

7 Ideas to End Your Cell Phone Addiction

• Go to bed alone, or with a pet, or with the person you love, (or with the person you love AND your pet) — but not your phone.
• Put the charging station AWAY from your bedside table (great suggestion Dr. Ayo, my health and wellness guru). He recommends nothing near you that can receive an electromagnetic current.
• Start your day with 15 minutes of anything except looking at your phone (stretch, pray, coffee… stretch while you pray for coffee).
• Institute phone-free mealtimes.
• Drive with your phone in the glovebox.
• Get one of Christine’s Cell Phone Sleeping Bags.
• Sit without the scroll – contemplate, meditate, relax.

I know it’s not easy, but you can do it! Break the habit. Do it for yourself. Do it for your family. Do it for Kevin Hart. Or else!

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