As the Covid-19 lockdown has kept us inside our homes, our smartphones, laptops, tablets have found renewed importance in our lives. These electronic devices are helping us maintain some semblance of normalcy in these unprecedented times—from getting work done, socialising, to keeping ourselves entertained. The result is that the time we spend in front of screens has gone through the roof.

And yes, while we need our screens to hold onto a little bit of normalcy, the fact remains: excessive screen time comes with its own perils. Studies have shown that children between the ages of 8 to 11 shouldn't be spending more than two hours in front of screens. Too much screen time is also said to increase the chances of diseases like obesity, diabetes, sleep problems. So, if you are worried you might be doing yourself more harm than good, with how much time you’re spending on your black mirrors, and want to keep it under check then here are five ways to do so.

Keep track of how much time you are spending on your phone

One of the most effective ways to cut down on our screen time is by being aware of how much time we are actually spending on our phones. According to a study published in early 2019 by RescueTime, most people, on average, spent three hours and 15 minutes on their phones. But with the lockdown, it goes without saying that the hours have increased.

Keeping track of your screen time is easy. There are a host of third-party apps on App Store (for iPhone users) and Play Store (for Android users) that let users keep track of screen time with a breakdown of how much time you are spending on individual apps. Knowing how much screen time you get in a day can prove to be a wake-up call to reduce it.

Don't take your phone in the bathroom

We all know that we end up spending more time in the bathroom when we take our phones with us compared to when we don't. What is supposed to be a quick five minutes in the bathroom turns into 20 minutes when we are watching videos on YouTube or stalking random people on social media. Time flies. So the next time you enter the bathroom, leave your phone outside, and maybe take that magazine or book that you promised to read but haven't yet.

Take part in activities that involve the entire family

It's a plain fact that people are more likely to spend a lot more time behind screens when there's nothing much else to do, which is precisely what's happening during the lockdown. One solution to this is by making sure there are plenty of things to do in the house that doesn't require smartphones. How about starting the day with the entire family doing some yoga? Or getting the entire family to do some gardening work. Cooking is also a great way to get the family together. Get creative; there are lots of activities you can do beyond your black screens.

Create screen-free zones

Make the dining table a place where people are not allowed to bring their phones, and if you want to take it a step further, declare bedrooms screen free. The latter is a huge step to take and requires steadfast commitment because we all know we are habituated to checking our phones in bed. Declaring bedrooms screen free will not only help you significantly reduce screen time but also stops us from ruining our sleep schedule.

Uninstall the apps (for an hour or two every day) that you use the most

The beauty of using apps that allow you to keep track of screen time is that most of these apps not only let you know the total amount of time you spent using the phone but also give you a detailed report of how much time you spent on individual apps. Once you know that you have been spending a daily average of three hours on Instagram, uninstalling the app for an hour or two daily is a good place to start.