30-Minutes Rule

October 2, 2025 - Reading time: 2 minutes

Phone usage has been my issue in the past and still now from time to time. If I'm not careful, my average usage is like 5 - 7 hrs a day, and that's almost a full-time job.

I took different methods to combat it, but this one seems to work best for me.

The method I called is the 30-minute rule.

Basically, I don't restrict myself from using a phone, but I find a way to not get addicted to it and to just see it as a tool to use, not to get entertained.

So here's how it works:

After waking up, I'll set a 30-minute countdown on my smartwatch. At first, I was thinking that the 30 minutes was too long to grab my phone, not until I decided to be intentional about what I'm going to do.

Here are the steps I took to be more intentional:

• While waiting for the countdown, I will write everything that needs to be done on my phone, such as reading emails, getting back to my transaction, uninstalling or installing apps, etc.
• If there is time left, I will use it to meditate and do house chores.
• Once the phone is already in my hand, it is smooth like a breeze.

By far, it is working in my favor, and now I average 1 - 2 hrs use daily... That is something both economical and portable because I no longer need to charge my phone multiple times in a day, and I no longer need to carry a bulky power bank wherever I go.