How to Reduce your Screen Time when you Work Online

Rachel Luke
6 days ago
6 min read

One of the biggest trends of 2026 is "going analogue" and in case you don't speak Tik-Tok, it means a few things, reducing screen time (aka digital minimalism), going back to physical media, reducing our subscriptions and just spending more time without phones around.

This is something I have been doing myself over the last year or so, cancelling my Netflix subscription, buying DVDs again, getting a vinyl player and I'm happy to say I've now mostly reduced my phone screen time down to under 2 hours per day on average. Whilst I could go on about the other elements of going analogue, I'm going to specifically talk about reducing your screen time when you work online in this post. As the MCN's Marketing & Membership Lead, an ex-business owner and a previously self confessed chronically online person, the reduction in my phone use has not been easy. But these 5 tips have been how I've done it.

Don't go cold turkey
Whilst smartphones themselves have been found to not be addictive¹, the social media apps that we use on the smartphones definitely are², as shown by the landmark case earlier this year where Meta and YouTube were found liable³. As I found that it was the social media apps that I had a problem with using, these were the ones that I started to cut down on.
I have no problem at all with using my phone to message friends, check the weather, do online banking or any of the other things that we use phones for these days, as I find it really easy to put my phone down again after using it for those tasks. It's the social media scroll-holes that can be hard to get out of, so they were what I wanted to work on first.
Initially I set myself a limit of 1 hour a day on each platform using my phones in built digital well-being app, then I looked at how much I was actually using the apps for and started to cut it down by 5 minutes a week.
I've now stopped at no Facebook, LinkedIn or Threads use on my phone, only Instagram and only for 10 minutes per day. The right amount of time to check my friends stories, share a quick post if I want to and then that's it!

Use the websites for social media instead
As much as I wish that I could just delete social media, as Marketing Lead for the MCN, that would cause me all kinds of issues doing my job. I still need to keep up with news, know what's trending and be aware of the ever changing landscape of marketing, and social media is the easiest way of doing all these things.
However, I don't need to be using the apps on my phone for much at all, as pretty much all social media networks are available as a website too. Yes, they're not as slickly designed, yes, they're going to try to keep bugging you to download the app (especially if you're on your phone using the browser) and yes, Facebook will prohibit you from using many of their features on your phone browser, but they're also a lot less likely to suck you into a scroll hole. Letting myself have unlimited social media use on my computer has been a great way of showing me that I don't need to be on there as much at all. Either I can't be bothered to go upstairs to scroll in those 5 minutes whilst I'm waiting for the washing machine to stop spinning, or I can only scroll Reels for a few minutes before I'm reminded that I have other things I'd rather be doing. Through the websites you can respond to comments, DMs and post on all the major platforms, the only thing I still use my phone for is Reels, but I just set timers on my phone to remind me that I'm on it for a purpose which seems to work well!
Replace your scrolling time with something else instead
If you try to stop using your phone as much but don't have something to directly replace it with, it's far far too easy to just pick your phone back up again. I hugely recommend leaving your phone in another room where you can hear it ring if someone calls you, but you're not going to grab it during the adverts or any other micro moment that you used to. Then have other things near to you instead that you enjoy. Definitely things you can pick up and put down easily and do for those odd 5 minutes. My personal favourites have been my Steam Deck for gaming and my book or Kindle. Other ideas could be a puzzle book, some sort of craft (love me a sticker book!) or even something as simple as fidget toys. Fidget toys have been my saviour to help get me watching TV shows and movies properly again instead of half watching whilst scrolling on my phone. Giving my hands something to do that I don't need to concentrate on means I actually watch! Also a good time to remind you that you're reducing your screen time from the short form stuff that makes you feel bad and isn't good for you. TV, films and games (proper ones, not candy crush and the like) are long form content, they help to extend your attention span and often can be a group activity as opposed to you being locked into your black rectangle, leading me on to the next tip...
Be aware that your phone is an addictive black rectangle
Yes, I literally call my phone the addictive black rectangle. This helps me when I do accidentally fall into a scroll hole, which still happens from time to time. It usually is accompanied by me throwing my phone onto my bed/sofa and telling off the addictive black rectangle for sucking me in again. Remember, you're just a human working against an industry that has literally invested money into figuring out how to keep you captivated on your phone for as long as physically possible. Calling it out helps me to not beat myself up over it, and reminds me that I'm just doing my best. Be kind to yourself!
Enjoy the moments of friction in your life
Oooh I wish I could sugar coat it but it does take a bit of getting used to, the awkward moment when you're waiting for something and everyone gets their phone out other than you. Your hand will twitch towards your pocket, you will feel awkward, you will definitely feel bored, but it's well worth working through. We're living in a world where all inconvenience and friction or being removed. Amazon same day delivery, subscription everything, never having to be bored because the world is connected to us in our pocket, not even having to come up with that uncomfortable email to your colleague on your own because Gen-AI will write it for you. But it is those moments of friction, discomfort and inconvenience are often where the beauty of the world lie. Creativity sits in those bored moments, why else do we always get the best ideas in the shower where there are no screens? Learning to be okay with these moments of friction, these pauses and these moments to actually notice the world around you gives so much joy, and really begins to increase your capacity for minor inconveniences again. I used to really hate waiting at traffic lights because it was "wasted time" whereas now I take the moment to look at the world around me, notice the buildings or just roll my shoulders a few times or do my kegels! Much better than being annoyed, right?

Genuinely, using social media on my phone less has improved my life in so many ways, I read so much more now and feel generally happier. I've also spent less money on absolute tat that I think I want because I've seen it online but turns out to be disappointing.

I do hope this has inspired you to cut back on your screen time, or just change it to a better form of screen time, whilst still remaining connected for work.

If you're looking for something to start to replace some of that scrolling with, I'm obviously going to recommend our social events as a good place to start, with either craft & chat or book club which can hopefully help you to find a new hobby to enjoy that nourishes the soul.

And if this resonated with you or you have something you'd like to write about for our blog, get in touch with me at rachel@militarycoworking.uk