7 Simple Ways To Set Digital Boundaries In Your Daily Life

August 6, 2021

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If you find yourself getting stressed or distracted by your phone regularly, check out these examples of digital boundaries to get ideas on how to solve the problem. Discover 7 easy strategies that will help you set digital boundaries in your daily life.

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Most people in the world have experienced a toxic relationship before.

I’m sure you’ve got a picture of someone in your mind right now who was a toxic person in your life.

Maybe they demanded too much from you, or maybe they made you feel self-conscious. Perhaps you have been the toxic friend to someone else.

Usually, when we run into someone like that, we do what we can to maintain boundaries.

We set limits on what that friend can control in our lives to help us live freely and without burdens caused by someone else.

In the same way, we need to start recognizing when we have a toxic relationship with the things around us, not just the people.

And we also need to start setting boundaries on those things.

Today I want to help you with the toxic relationship you may have with your phone or with social media.

I will be sharing 7 digital boundaries that will free you and give you a healthier lifestyle.

If you feel like you are low-key addicted to your phone or social media and you’re ready for a change, check out these suggestions. They’re free, they’re easy, and they will change your life! 

Related Post: How to Use Your Phone With Intention and Purpose

A woman using her phone outside. Does she have digital boundaries?
Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash

What are digital boundaries?

Digital boundaries are a set of rules that you create that help you to limit your time on digital devices.

According to these phone usage statistics, most people spend about five hours per day looking at their phones. This amount of time is accompanied by some serious side effects, too.

Setting digital boundaries can help you focus better throughout the day and can often help improve your mental health over time. They can even help you use your digital devices more intentionally.

The digital boundaries one person sets might look different from someone else’s but they always have the same purpose; to improve your daily life.

Related Post: How to Organize Your Phone Like a Minimalist

Preparing to set digital boundaries

If you want to make this as effective as possible, it is best if you personify your phone.

Give it a name and treat it like a friend.

This will help you understand that your boundaries with this device are indeed a relationship of sorts, and it will change your perspective on how healthy your phone usage is (or is not).

Here’s a personal example:

My phone’s name is Luna. Let me tell you a bit about how our relationship has grown: 

When Luna and I met, we were instant friends. She was so knowledgeable and she could always make me laugh. I liked to learn new things with her, but other times we would just chill with a show.

Over time, Luna and I were inseparable, but like, in a weird, unhealthy way.

I needed her with me everywhere.

She was the last thing I looked at before sleeping and the first thing I looked at before waking.

Most of the time, we wouldn’t even do anything of substance, but I felt like I wanted her there anyway. I couldn’t even use the bathroom without taking her in there with me.

After some time, I realized we needed some space to let each other grow.

I told Luna that I felt we needed to spend more time apart, and she agreed.

We decided to do more things on our own. To make sure we still had time together, we scheduled dates to hang out.

Now, I feel like we have a healthier relationship.

When we are together, we both enjoy each other’s company, but when we are apart, we don’t feel like we need each other so much. I think we will be good friends for a long time! 

Related Post: 7 Surprising Reasons you Should Consider Naming your Devices


This might seem a little weird to imagine, but it’s true; your phone has a relationship with you, and just like every other relationship, you two need to set some healthy boundaries!

7 Easy ways to set digital boundaries that will improve your life

"7 digital boundaries that will improve your life and mental health"

Here are a few simple things you can do to set digital boundaries on your phone and on social media:

1. Limit games that can be downloaded

Did you ever have a friend in school that would constantly distract you? It’s fun at first to have someone interrupting your boring work to entertain you, but eventually, it gets annoying. Then you have to ask them politely to give you a chance to work before they interrupt you again.

You need to do the same thing with your phone.

Create a limit for how many games can be downloaded on your phone at one time.

I stick to one game being downloaded at a time so that I have some entertainment but not constant entertainment.

Without too many apps or games, your phone will have less power to distract you. 

Related Post: How to Simplify Your Life with the 80/20 Rule



2. Schedule personal time for yourself (without your phone)

As an introvert, I’ve needed to set this particular boundary more than I can count.

I love my friends and family, but I cannot function without an obscene amount of alone time.

Sometimes I have to tell people that I can’t hang out with them, and when they ask ‘why not,’ my honest answer is that I need to be by myself to recharge.

You can decide how you want to schedule it, but you need to establish some times that you plan to be separated from your phone.

Here are some ideas: 

  • Schedule a ‘detox hour’ every day according to what your needs are that day
  • Establish a ‘detox day’ where you spend any entire day each week without your phone
  • When the sun sets, your phone goes away
  • In the morning, don’t touch your phone until you’ve eaten breakfast
  • Don’t use your phone during work hours
  • One hour before your bedtime, put the phone away and detox

There are a lot more options than what I mentioned here, but you need to choose whatever is reasonable for you. Try a few and see what you like best!

Related Post: How to do a Digital Detox When You’re Overwhelmed

3. Define the spaces where your phone can’t go with you

People do this with their pets quite often.

For example, lots of dog owners are happy to let their dogs wander through the house, but they never let them sit on the couch or lie in their bed.

You need to do the same thing with your phone.

Determine physical spaces where your phone simply cannot be.

My top three suggestions are the bedroom, the bathroom, and the dinner table. They are clear boundaries, and removing your phone from each of these rooms have added health benefits.

Here are some of the benefits of creating digital boundaries that are physical:  

  • Keeping your phone out of the bedroom will give you easier, deeper sleep, and you will be more relaxed
  • Banning the phone from the bathroom will keep your phone free of bad bacteria  
  • Separating from your phone at the dinner table will have you eating more intentionally and engaging more with the people around you

If you don’t think you can handle it, start small and work your way up.

For example, I try to keep these boundaries only on weekdays.

When Friday night comes around, I get a break from the rules I set for myself and my phone.

Some day, I’d love to get to the point where I don’t care to break the rules on weekends, but I’m not there yet. 

Related Post: 30 Helpful Strategies to Sleep Better at Night



4. Define activities that your phone can’t do with you

Similar to the physical boundaries, it is important to set digital boundaries on activities that you can and cannot do with your phone.

Depending on your personal preferences, this list might have one single item, or it could have a whole page of items.

It’s up to you.

Examples of digital boundaries you can set for yourself

  • When eating, don’t use a digital device
  • Leave your phone outside of the bathroom when taking a shower
  • Keep your phone in your bag and out of sight when driving
  • Put your phone away when hanging out with friends
  • Don’t use your phone at family gatherings
  • Keep your phone in your bag when exercising
  • Leave your phone in another room while sleeping
  • Read a book without keeping your phone beside you
  • Put your phone in a drawer on silent while working
  • Put your phone in another room while cooking
  • Keep your phone in your bag while waiting in line at the store
  • Keep your phone in your bag while attending a movie or a show
  • Leave your phone at home if you’re taking a short walk outside

Obviously, there are many more possibilities, but these are some common ones that might be relevant to you.

Decide what is doable and what you think is best for your situation.

There is no wrong answer! 

Related Post: How to Practice Mindful Eating and Actually Enjoy Your Food

5. Set a “No Recharge Rule” 

This digital boundary only works if you have a phone with good battery life and don’t absolutely NEED battery-draining apps, but it’s pretty foolproof otherwise!

Your phone has the ability to survive an entire day without being charged. On a good day, mine can even last for two days!

However, many people use their phones so heavily that the battery runs out before the end of the day.

The “No Recharge Rule” is simple: you cannot under any circumstances recharge your phone more than once a day.

If it’s 10:00 am and your phone is already at 50%, you’ll know you have to back off a little and save the battery for when you need it.

If you get to 5:00 pm and your phone dies on you, too bad! No phone for the rest of the day.

It’s kind of like giving yourself an allowance, but instead of budgeting money, you have to budget your time.

If nothing else, it will certainly give you a more honest understanding of how much you really use your phone! 

Related Post: How To Stay Focused With One Simple Mind Hack



6. Set limits on what notifications are not welcome

Remember that friend that keeps interrupting you? This is another way your phone can do the same thing. But instead of entertaining you, they are just nagging you about things you didn’t need to know right away.

To have healthy digital boundaries, you should personalize your settings so that you are only reminded of the things you want to be notified about right away. 

How to change the settings on your phone so that it won’t notify you of unnecessary things.

First, open your <settings> on your phone.

Next, choose <notifications>. Once you’ve opened that, you will see a list of all your apps. Here, you can choose to either allow or disable notifications from each individual app. 

A comparison of two screenshots. The first screenshot has notifications turned on while the other screenshot has them turned off. This is one way to set digital boundaries.

You can choose what you feel is most important, but if I can make a suggestion, I would say to only keep the notifications for things you absolutely need to know about right away.

For most people, that means phone calls and maybe text messages.

Of course, this depends on your personal responsibilities at work and at home, so don’t feel bad if you have to be notified by more things than this. 

Personally, I only get notifications for actual phone calls.

If it’s an absolute emergency, my family and friends know to call.

If it’s not urgent, any other form of contact will work just fine! 

Related Post: How to Organize Digital Photos in 5 Easy Steps

7. Schedule a date with your phone

Just as it is important to determine when you need time away from your phone, it can be equally healthy to establish times where your phone will get your undivided attention.

I really don’t believe that there’s inherently anything wrong with using your smartphone.

It’s the same as reading a book or watching tv.

However, it is way more common for us to multitask with our phones, and that is where the problem comes in.

When you’re only giving a portion of your attention to your phone, it often doesn’t feel like you’re using it.

It is better to set aside time where you can enjoy your phone without distractions.

The time you spend will feel more intentional and fulfilling, and you won’t be so tempted to use it throughout the day. It will also keep you from breaking the digital boundaries you set.

When you know that you will get to enjoy your phone at a set time, you don’t have to desperately try to fit in the time in little bits throughout your day. 

Related Post: 10 Foolproof Ways to Stop Multitasking and Skyrocket Productivity

 


Our phones are great for our lives, but like anything, you need to be careful about how and when you use them.

By setting these digital boundaries, you will be able to create a healthy relationship with your phone and live a more fulfilling, distraction-free life! 


Do you have any digital boundaries you set with your phone or social media?


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Genesis is a former elementary teacher and an avid writer. She has always been passionate about discovering new routines and systems for her life, and now she spends her time sharing those systems with others so that they can live a simpler life that is built for their unique needs. She believes that we all have the power to live an authentic life that never feels like a ‘daily grind’, and her goal at In Its Season is to do everything she can to help others create that life for themselves through habit-building, routine-development, and lifestyle tips. Read more about the author and what her site is about.

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16 Comments

  1. Jenny

    Wow your luna example was very eye opening – I had never thought about my phone like that! I totally agree with all of these points! What has really helped me is deleting all the games from my phone (if only I could part ways with social media too haha!) and I have pretty much turned off all of my notifications so that I am less likely to reach for my phone every 5 seconds when some new notification pops up. it has really been healthy to get time away from my phone. Your list had some ideas I hadn’t thought of though – I might have to try banning my phone from some rooms next!

    Reply
    • Genesis Sampson

      Jenny, the stuff you are already doing to set boundaries with your phone sounds great! I’m really glad that some of my suggestions could give you some new ideas, too. Deleting games on your phone is definitely a great trick! That’s cool to hear from someone else who tried this and saw a difference in the way they interacted with their phone. Thanks for sharing! It’s awesome to get to know what kinds of things other people are doing to create healthier phone boundaries! 🙂

      Reply
      • Jennifer Enoch

        It’s so odd because just today I heard the words social media addiction. I didn’t realize, but we’re slowly growing into people that are addicted to social media or our phones. I don’t think people walk down the street much without their phones anymore, conversations without phones in hand are becoming scarce. This is such a great post and wonderful tips about how to kep it in check. I really need this!

        Reply
        • Genesis Sampson

          Jennifer, I’m so glad that you enjoyed this post! It definitely feels weird to admit that we are falling into social media addictions, but I totally agree with you! I think it’s especially hard to get over because it’s somewhat of a socially-approved addiction. It makes it hard for us to feel like anything really needs to be done about it. Thanks for your input! 🙂

          Reply
  2. Alyssa

    Wow, I can relate to this 100%! I’ve been using my phone so much, while I work at home and I know it is not always a good thing. Thanks for the tips on taking a break!

    Reply
    • Genesis Sampson

      I’m so glad that this was helpful, Alyssa! Working from home can definitely complicate the boundaries with your phone. I totally get where you’re coming from! I hope some of these tips help! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
  3. Machelle

    Over time, I have been using my phone more & more so this is a great article to make you stop & think. I especially like #5 – not to recharge your phone more than once per day. Will have to start using some of these ideas!

    Reply
    • Genesis Sampson

      Thanks for your comment, Machelle! Yes, #5 is probably one of the hardest things to do, but it is super helpful. I find it a really easy way to monitor how much I’m using my phone each day. I hope that it is able to help you, too! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Sacha

    It is so important to take time away from your phone/technology. I know that if I use my phone or computer for too long, I get headaches and thats when I know I need a break.

    Reply
    • Genesis Sampson

      Sacha, I totally agree! That’s great that you set a metric for yourself to know when it’s time to take a break from your technology. It is such a hard habit to develop! Thanks for your input! 🙂

      Reply
      • ruth

        I love this! It’s great how you gave mobile phones a personality. Really helped to put everything into perspective. I can definitely spend too much time on my phone so I always put time aside every week where i dont touch it and it feels amazing 🙂 thanks for sharing!

        Reply
        • Genesis Sampson

          That’s a great practice to put in place, Ruth! I feel the same way after going without my phone for a day. I’m glad that you enjoyed the article! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

          Reply
  5. nicole

    Hey thank you so much for sharing, these are great pointers anyone can go by. I my self have truly been trying to practice not allowing the time I spend on my phone to control me. great points again.

    Reply
    • Genesis Sampson

      Nicole, I’m so glad that these were helpful to you! It’s great that you are already so aware of the importance of taking charge of your phone; I feel like that’s half the battle! Thanks for sharing your story! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Mijia Eggers

    Mobile phone does provide many convenience to our life but it also hurts family life at certain level.

    Reply
    • Genesis Sampson

      Absolutely, Mijia! It is so hard to find a balance between reaping the benefits of our phones without going overboard! Thanks for the insight:)

      Reply

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Welcome to In Its Season, a place for you to discover routines and habits for a better life, homemaking tips for managing your home without overcomplicating things, and Christian living tips to help you grow closer to God.

I am a person who loves the simple things in life and wants to encourage you with the joys of everyday routines. Read more about what I’m all about and how I came to realize the importance of living out my most authentic life.

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