I'm just over a year into it. I'm going to write this up in more detail at some point but broadly my strategy has been:
1) Keep a smartphone without a SIM in it at home on wifi for banking / 2FA / etc
2) Move everything social off it. I was never a FB user, but I'm into Twitter and news - so those two got canned, as did Instagram
3) Take work email off it. If you can't, turn off all notifications. If people want you, they'll ring you.
4) Anything you want to do, do it on your desktop - you have way more control here. I use https://heyfocus.com on "hardcore" mode, which blocks Tweetdeck, email, news, HN, whatever so I can actually get work done
5) Have a dumbphone for out-and-about use. It's painful, awful texting, no camera - but it is remarkably liberating to have moments of boredom, moments when you'd normally take a photo but can now just admire the view, moments when you have to actually "ring" someone (I know, this is apparently a thing..)
6) Never let your smartphone into your bedroom, ever
7) Put any gadgets on charge upstairs after 6pm, and leave them there on silent until the morning
It works for me. It hurts, and sometimes I slip (if I have to travel with work, I normally re-sim-ify my smartphone for maps or whatever), but in general I feel more a part of the world I'm supposed to be spending my life in, rather than down a rabbithole of virtual nothingness.
The first and easiest way to try this is simply to leave your phone at home when you go out for a period of time. Redirect calls to your partner if you need - but just try it. There's a Zen saying: "if you don't have 10 minutes to meditate each day, you should meditate for 20 minutes". If it hurts, try it for a longer period of time!
1) Keep a smartphone without a SIM in it at home on wifi for banking / 2FA / etc
2) Move everything social off it. I was never a FB user, but I'm into Twitter and news - so those two got canned, as did Instagram
3) Take work email off it. If you can't, turn off all notifications. If people want you, they'll ring you.
4) Anything you want to do, do it on your desktop - you have way more control here. I use https://heyfocus.com on "hardcore" mode, which blocks Tweetdeck, email, news, HN, whatever so I can actually get work done
5) Have a dumbphone for out-and-about use. It's painful, awful texting, no camera - but it is remarkably liberating to have moments of boredom, moments when you'd normally take a photo but can now just admire the view, moments when you have to actually "ring" someone (I know, this is apparently a thing..)
6) Never let your smartphone into your bedroom, ever
7) Put any gadgets on charge upstairs after 6pm, and leave them there on silent until the morning
It works for me. It hurts, and sometimes I slip (if I have to travel with work, I normally re-sim-ify my smartphone for maps or whatever), but in general I feel more a part of the world I'm supposed to be spending my life in, rather than down a rabbithole of virtual nothingness.
The first and easiest way to try this is simply to leave your phone at home when you go out for a period of time. Redirect calls to your partner if you need - but just try it. There's a Zen saying: "if you don't have 10 minutes to meditate each day, you should meditate for 20 minutes". If it hurts, try it for a longer period of time!