Have phone-free times/days

The temptation to scroll is tricky to resist if your phone is right there, in your hand, already unlocked. Cordon off some time when it’s not – when you can physically shut your phone in a drawer and do something entirely free of screens. Perhaps you’ll do a digital detox every Sunday. Maybe you’ll want to ease yourself in with just a few hours of a screen ban a week. You might finally take the advice of sleep experts and ditch your phone, laptop and TV after 8pm.

Use your phone’s built-in tools to limit app use

Most phones will have features built in to limit the time you can spend on certain apps. “Found in your settings, these tools allow you to set maximum amounts of time for different apps, and the phone will let you know when you’ve reached your daily limit, helping us get out of that endless scrolling cycle,” explains Taylor.

Actively schedule in social media time

Trying to go completely cold turkey is likely to fail… sorry. What may be a better plan is being more conscious and deliberate about your scrolling time. “You can schedule social media time into your calendar, for example, so it’s right alongside work meetings, gym time and dinner events with friends,” Taylor suggests.

This way, you’ll know that during specific time slots your only task is to scroll and actually enjoy it, meaning you won’t feel too guilty for ‘wasting time’. Then you’ll also know that outside of those times, you really shouldn’t be scrolling.

Why the endless mindless scrolling cycle happens, and how to break out of it