Spend Less Time on Your Phone With Jay Shetty’s Genius Trick

Jay Shetty, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, award-winning podcast host of On Purpose, and purpose-driven entrepreneur, is big on being mindful. And spending less time on his phone is one way Shetty puts this into practice. In an intimate conversation with People magazine and Dotdash Meredith, Shetty shared his number one tip for minimizing screen time: Treat your cell like a landline.

Don’t Look at Your Phone in the AM

Start by ignoring your phone in the morning. “You would never wake up and let 100 people into your bedroom before you showered, brushed your teeth, and put on makeup,” Shetty says. “But when you look at your phone first thing in the morning, you’re letting 100 people into your mind. You’re letting your boss say, ‘This is late.’ Your mom gets to say, ‘When are you getting married?’ The news is telling about another disaster. Just give your brain 10 minutes to wake up.”

Research shows that activities like using social media can stimulate dopamine, a hormone that affects pleasure. Some studies show that too much dopamine stimulation desensitizes your brain’s reward system, leading to trouble paying attention and anxiety. 

For people who need to check their phones because a child or elderly parent may have reached out, Shetty recommends having an emergency phone without any apps. This way, your loved one can leave a message if they need to, and you won’t be bombarded with the news or social media notifications. “There’s no noise. There’s no negativity,” he says. “Just try it for seven days, and you will feel so much better in the morning.”

Leave Your Phone in Another Room

Shetty keeps his phone on a table in a separate room while working to reduce phone usage throughout the day. Since he needs to leave his office and stand to use his cell, scrolling mindlessly is a little less appealing. “I found that if you sit down with your phone, you’re in trouble,” he says. “We can treat our phones like landlines if we’re slightly more disciplined.”

You can learn more of Shetty’s wisdom—in person—during his On Purpose tour. He’ll guide audiences through live meditations, chat with celebrity guests, wellness experts, or leaders in each city.