Hang Up to Hang Out: Small Steps to Cut Screen Time and Boost Happiness

I’ll be honest. I struggle with my phone. Some days it feels glued to my hand, and I know I’m not the only one. When’s the last time you stood in line at the grocery store and didn’t see people scrolling? If you did, it probably means you looked up from your own screen long enough to notice.

Phones aren’t the enemy. They keep us connected, entertained, and even productive. But when they take over every spare second, we lose something bigger: presence, focus, and joy. And most of us feel it.

That’s why I asked Dr. Jeff Gardere, better known as America’s Psychologist, for some practical ways to cut back.

He reminded me that the good life isn’t in our phones. It’s happening all around us.

Here are three simple things he says make a huge difference:

1. Charge your phone in a different roo

m from your bed

No more scrolling before sleep or first thing in the morning. You’ll rest better, wake up clearer, and actually give your brain a reset.

2. Create phone free zones in your house

Think about the dining room. Or yes, even the bathroom. Having places where the phone just doesn’t go means more conversation, more connection, and fewer distractions.

3. Put it down and do something that requires presence

Read a book. Cook dinner. Call a friend. Go outside. Choosing life over scroll is where the shift happens.

The payoff is real. More presence. More happiness. Less anxiety. Better focus.

I’m not saying this as someone who has it all figured out. I catch myself scrolling at stoplights, in line, on the couch—pretty much anywhere. But when I actually follow this advice, I feel calmer, lighter, more grounded.

So here’s the challenge for both of us. Try one of these tips today. Then notice how you feel.

Because maybe the life we’re all chasing isn’t in the next scroll. Maybe it’s right there waiting the second we look up.