How to Stay Off Your Phone and Regain Focus

Many of us struggle to stay off our phones, often checking them in quiet moments like waiting in line or between tasks. Because apps are designed to hold our attention, notifications keep us hooked, making it hard to put your phone down – even when you want to focus on something else.

For people with ADHD, learning how to stay off your phone can be even more challenging. ADHD makes it harder to resist impulses and disengage from enjoyable activities, so devices become an easy escape from complex or demanding tasks. This increases the pull of distractions and makes putting your phone down more difficult.

Though whether you have been diagnosed with ADHD or not, we could all probably benefit from a few strategies to keep the phone down.  In my practice of ADHD skills training, I typically offer several suggestions to help limit distractions from devices.  The following are a few of these suggestions that could be helpful the next time you find yourself picking up your phone.

Put Your Phone Down with Stimulus Control

One of the most effective ways to stay off your phone is through stimulus control – the practice of removing the object that triggers the behavior. By taking your phone out of sight or shutting it off, you make it harder to reach for automatically and easier to stay focused.

Practical steps include leaving your phone in another room, powering it down, or switching it to airplane mode when you need to focus. Each of these makes it harder to check your device without thought, creating space to resist the urge.

These small barriers buy you time between impulse and action, which helps you think twice before picking up your phone. That extra pause can be the difference between staying on task and falling into a scroll.

In these pauses, I encourage patients to use coping strategies like reminding themselves of the costs of checking their phone or setting a small on-task goal first. For example, telling yourself, “I’ll write the first line of this email before I check my phone,” helps retrain your focus.

Review Notifications to Reduce Phone Use

If turning off your phone isn’t realistic, another way to stay off your phone is to reduce digital noise. Reviewing your apps and disabling notifications can make it easier to put your phone down when you need to focus.

Unused apps clutter your screen and generate unnecessary alerts. Deleting them helps you stay organized and reduces the constant pull to pick up your phone.

For apps you use rarely, weigh the costs and benefits. Ask yourself whether the time spent is worth it, or if removing the app could make it easier to lower your time on the cell phone.

Social media may help you connect, but it can also drain time, hurt sleep, and increase stress. Reflecting on these trade-offs helps you decide whether to keep certain apps or cut them so you can more easily put your phone down.

Managing notifications is another simple step. Go into your phone’s settings to disable alerts from apps that don’t need your attention.

Most phones now offer focus modes or Do Not Disturb features, which silence distractions while still allowing important calls or messages through. Using these tools helps you stay off your phone without losing essential connections.

Rehearse Staying Off Your Phone

Practicing “cognitive rehearsal,” or mentally walking through your plan, helps you prepare for moments when distractions strike. This mental training builds habits that make it easier to put your phone down in real time.

For instance, if your first task of the day is clearing your inbox, visualize how you’ll start and what you’ll avoid. This sets expectations and boosts your ability to stay off your phone while working.

Self-talk might sound like: “I’ll open my laptop, clear five emails, then take a short break. If I want to check my phone, I’ll wait until I’ve hit that small milestone.” Breaking tasks into steps helps you resist the urge to pick up your phone.

By mentally rehearsing success, you increase confidence and tolerance for the discomfort of not checking your phone. This preparation makes it easier to put your phone down when the temptation arises.

Limiting Screen Time Takes Practice

No strategy will eliminate phone use entirely – but progress, not perfection, is the goal. Each time you choose to put your phone down, you build a stronger habit of focus. Even small changes can add up to big improvements.

If you’d like extra support, Rittenhouse Psychiatric Associates offers CBT-based skills training to help manage distractions and stay off your phone more effectively. Our structured approach is especially helpful for individuals with ADHD, providing strategies to strengthen focus, reduce impulsivity, and improve daily productivity.