Stop Doomscrolling: A 7-Day Plan to Cut Hours of Screen Time
Stop Doomscrolling: A 7-Day Plan to Cut Hours of Screen Time
Summary
A one-week plan I actually used to break the “just a sec” scroll. You’ll set one daily focus sprint, add two small phone-free windows, and use gentle friction so feeds stop winning.
Intro
I used to tell myself, “I’m just checking something.” Two minutes became forty. I ended the day wired and annoyed at myself. So I built a small, realistic plan and tested it for a week - no heroics- just better defaults. The result was calmer evenings and more time with my family.
Quick take: over 7 days, we’ll set one focus sprint a day, schedule two short phone-free windows, and add just-enough friction to keep you out of the feed.
Personal note:
Last week, I went from 5h 12m to 3 h 28 m in average daily screen time. Your numbers will differ - but you’ll feel the difference.
Your 7-day plan
Day 1 — Get your baseline (10 min)
- Open Settings → Screen Time (or Scrolloc → Balance Score).
- Write down: total minutes, top 3 distracting apps, and your heaviest time of day.
In Scrolloc: Create Bedtime Block — Daily, 11 pm-6 am, Easy. Add social/video apps.
Day 2 — One focus sprint (25 min)
- Do a SuperFocus sprint when you usually drift (mine is 10:30 am).
- One task only → then a 5-minute break.
In Scrolloc: Start SuperFocus (25|5). Pro users can try Hard Lock.
Day 3 — Lunch scroll swap (30-60 min)
- Make lunch phone-free: eat outside, take a short walk, or talk with a friend.
In Scrolloc: Phone-Free Lunch — Daily, 12-1 pm, Easy
Day 4 — Limit app opens
- Cap your worst app at max 5 opens per day.
- If you hit 5 by 2 pm, you’ve learned something valuable.
In Scrolloc: Limit Opens = 5/day on your #1 time-sink app.
Day 5 — Evening no-scroll hour
- Protect 8–9 pm for reading, family, or hobbies.
- Keep your phone out of reach.
In Scrolloc: Reading Time — Mon-Fri, 8-9 pm
Day 6 — Weekend detox (gentle)
- Give yourself 90 minutes total screen time per day on Saturday and Sunday.
- Plan 2–3 offline anchors: gym, coffee, park, walk.
In Scrolloc: Weekend Detox — Sat-Sun, limit 90 min total
Day 7 — Review & reward
- Compare your Balance Score and total screen time vs Day 1.
- Keep the 2–3 rules that worked best and drop the rest.
In Scrolloc: Keep Bedtime + Lunch + Opens 5/day
Add one daily SuperFocus session.
Pro tips that make it stick
- Make good choices easy: a book on the table beats a phone in your hand.
- Automate the “when”: schedules beat “I should.”
- Pick the right friction: Easy for gentle days, Hard Lock when it must hold.
Ready to try it your way?
Create a Bedtime Block and your first SuperFocus sprint in under a minute.
👉 Start Free
[IMG] UI — scrolloc-schedule-bedtime-lunch-1200x800.png — Alt: Scrolloc schedules for bedtime and lunch phone-free windows.
[IMG] UI — superfocus-25min-shield-1200x800.png — Alt: SuperFocus timer with distracting apps blocked.
[IMG] Chart — before-after-screen-time-1200x600.png — Alt: Daily screen time before and after the 7-day plan.
Author: Aliaksei L., founder of Scrolloc
Disclosure: I built Scrolloc after struggling with my own phone habits. Your results may vary.
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