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Why You Should Charge Your Phone Outside Your Room
There's a lot of talk about smartphones being unhealthy, but it's not always true. Many people have trouble with their phones, not because the phones are inherently bad, but because they haven't considered how to use them properly.
One of the biggest mistakes that many people make is using their smartphones too close to bedtime. Another challenge is checking their devices first thing in the morning, before they have had time to wake up and adjust to the day. Both issues can be minimized or even eliminated by charging their devices in a different room. Here are some reasons why you should charge your phone outside your room.
Why You Should Charge Your Phone Outside Your Room
Let’s first look at some of the biggest advantages associated with charging your phone outside your room.
1. Set Natural Boundaries
Whether it’s to enjoy success in your personal or professional life, setting boundaries is essential. One huge mistake that people make is allowing themselves to be available 24/7, which can hinder their ability to recover and serve the world in a better way. For example, you might know someone who has their work emails on their personal phone—and you might even be that individual.
Charging your smartphone in another room sets natural boundaries, as you won’t be able to respond to others for a certain amount of time each day and evening. As a result, you’ll likely feel like you’ve got some time to yourself. Thanks to this, you can begin processing thoughts and emotions that you might have previously been suppressing.
If you’re aiming to be more productive at the office in particular, you can consider checking out these ways to set boundaries at work.
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2. Not Checking Your Screen First Thing in the Morning
How many times have you set the intention to have a productive day the night before, and then—as soon as you’ve woken up—picked up your smartphone and started checking through your notifications?
After starting your day with scrolling and responding to texts, you might have then found it more difficult to stay focused for the rest of the day. This is something that I was especially guilty of from around 2014 through 2019, and it put me in a distracted state more often than I’d like to admit.
When you charge your phone outside of your room, you can make it easier not to check your screen first thing in the morning. Instead, you can replace that time with a healthier habit—such as meditating or journaling. You might also find it easier to stick to a morning routine as you’ve removed one major distraction.
If you want to pick up meditation as a positive habit, consider checking out our guide to getting started with meditation.
3. Not Having the Temptation to Check Your Phone in the Middle of the Night
Another bad habit that hindered my productivity in my early 20s was checking my phone in the middle of the night. I used to charge my iPhone right next to my pillow, which made it easy to quickly reply to a text or check social media when I should’ve been sleeping.
As soon as I began charging my phone elsewhere, my sleep quality improved within a few weeks. During the day, it was also easier not to check the notifications on my device. You’ll probably have to put in a significant amount of effort to reverse the habit of checking your phone in the middle of the night, but humans like to take the path of least resistance. So, charging your phone in another room is an easy starting point.
Another useful rule to follow is not to use your phone in bed at all. Take a look at these tips on why you should never use your phone in bed.
4. Potentially Get a Better Night’s Sleep
The quality of your sleep is essential, and you should do whatever you can to improve this area of your life. And if you’ve noticed that you feel tired when you wake up, reconsidering where you charge your phone might be a good idea.
A study published in 2020 found that among 1,925 students in Saudi Arabia, using your phone after turning off the lights correlated with worse sleep quality. Moreover, students who charged their phones next to their heads were also prone to feeling more tired during the day.
The good news is that if you’re trying to adjust your smartphone use for better sleep quality, you can perform numerous actions to reduce smartphone usage and increase sleep hygiene. Besides charging your phone in another room, you can perform activities that don’t involve screens.
How to Replace Functions You’d Normally Use on Your Phone
Now that we’ve spoken about some of the biggest benefits associated with charging your phone outside your room, you might be convinced to give it a try. However, you may also have your doubts. After all, how will you know when to wake up?
Below are some replacements for certain phone functions that you can use when charging your device in another room.
1. Sunrise Alarm Clock
You might be old enough to remember a time when you used alarm clocks before smartphones existed. Nowadays, you can enhance your sleep routine even further by using a sunrise alarm clock, which gradually makes your room lighter just before you wake up.
Sunrise alarm clocks often let you adjust how bright the light time is as well, which will allow you to better control the amount of light coming into your room as you sleep. Moreover, you can adjust the maximum light strength.
Besides helping you wake up, sunrise alarm clocks have the added benefit of functioning as a reading lamp and more. If you aren’t convinced yet, consider reading this guide on the top reasons to buy a sunrise alarm clock.
2. Physical Notepads
If you usually journal before bed or just after waking up, you might find that physical notepads are better than using your phone screen. You’ll be able to refer to each page whenever you want, and some people also find that information sticks better when they write it with a pen and paper.
You can also check out whether you should use digital or physical notepads if you’re still on the fence.
3. A Kindle
Some people like to read on their phones before going to bed, but there are many other effective ways to continue this habit without a smartphone. For many people, purchasing a physical book and reading it might actually be better. However, if you like reading on a screen, you can get a Kindle instead.
Reading on a Kindle before bed is a great way to increase your knowledge of certain topics. And for other people, it’s a superb option for winding down. There are numerous settings you can change to make your Kindle better to read at night.
Consider Charging Your Phone Outside of Your Room for Better Sleep
Sometimes, it’s the smallest changes that can have a big impact on your productivity and other areas of your life. For those who want to set better boundaries with their smartphones, it’s worth considering charging the device in another room while sleeping.
Charging your smartphone outside of your room can facilitate better sleep quality, and you’ll also probably find it easier to stop checking your phone in the middle of the night. Moreover, you can set natural boundaries that can help you rest and recuperate.
