Traveling is meant to be an eye-opening, enriching experience that elevates our mood, educates us about the world, and inspires us to visit new places. Technology is both a blessing and a curse for traveling. It can be very beneficial, helping us to plan itineraries, discover things to do, and find our way around. On the other hand, it can be a distraction and get in the way of enjoying genuine experiences.
It’s easy to incorporate technology into your travels without letting it overcome your time away. By following the tips below, you’ll effectively reduce your screen time so you can concentrate on your current location and situation more. You can still have time for fun activities such as playing at a Canadian casino online on your phone or streaming your favorite TV shows. So long as you don’t allow these activities to dominate your attention, you’ll still benefit from traveling.
Only Take the Devices You Need
It’s always best to travel light, so if you can leave pieces of tech at home, do so. Ideally, you should take as few devices with you as possible. Consider just taking your phone because this is more convenient than a laptop or tablet and it’s probably the best device to use for traveling anyway.
Having access to fewer devices should help you cut down your overall screen time. If you think you’ll simply spend more time on your phone instead, keep reading for more tips on how to reduce screen time on your phone.
Evaluate Your Screen Time and Start Reducing It
Once you decide what device(s) you’re going to take, check what your recent screen time has been. Whatever this is, set yourself the goal of beating this during your time traveling. You should try to reduce your screen time by as much as possible. The less time you spend staring at a screen, the more time you’ll have to take in the sights of wherever it is you’re going.
It’s best to do this as soon as possible. The more time there is between evaluating your screen time and setting off on your travels, the more likely it is you’ll succeed in reducing your screen time. When you have weeks or even months, you can set yourself regular goals and rely on your devices less and less.
Decide How You’re Going to Use Your Devices
There’s no need to have zero screen time while traveling, though you can aim for this if you want. A more realistic approach is to head towards a greatly reduced amount of screen time. Let’s say you spend five hours a day on your phone. Leading up to your travels, you manage to cut this down to three hours. Do you want to spend three hours a day on your phone when you’re exploring somewhere new? Of course not! But you’ll have your phone with you and the temptation to go on it will be there.
This is why you need to decide in advance for what purposes you’ll be allowed to use any devices you take with you. If you’re serious about minimizing screen time, you might decide to only use your phone when taking photos or if you get lost. If you want, you could set aside some time for regular internet activities, i.e. browsing your usual sites and watching some video content.
The point is that when you travel, you should know what you’re going to use each device for. Ideally, you shouldn’t use a device for other means unless absolutely necessary. It’s all about imposing limits and trying to stick to them.
Focus on Living for the Moment
Many people who love traveling don’t get to do it as often as they want to. They’re held back by work and family commitments, not to mention money. When you have the opportunity to travel, whether it’s a weekend getaway or a multi-week overseas vacation, make the most of it. Remind yourself that traveling is the exception, not the norm, and that you need to get every last bit of enjoyment out of the experience.
Traveling can be full of wonderful, awe-inspiring moments you’ll never experience again in your life. You might never return to the place you’re visiting. Even if you do go back someday, you might never do the same things, meet the same people, or visit the same landmarks again.
Document Your Travels Sparingly
It goes without saying that when you travel, it can be very tempting to document pretty much everything. Photos and videos are wonderful keepsakes and can be wonderful reminders of your travels, especially as time goes by. Even though you should be present and live for the moment, you can still have an immersive travel experience while taking photos and videos.
The key is moderation. If you take several hundred photos every day or if you spend most of the day recording your travels, you’ll have a wealth of content, yes, but at the expense of switching off and cutting down on screen time.
When you’re working on reducing your screen time, you have to be selective when it comes to taking photos and making videos. The temptation to spend hours on your phone is there, but you have to keep your photo-taking and video-making to a minimum if you want a low amount of screen time. Capture content that matters and has a lasting impact on you. Only take photos and make videos that you know are worthwhile.
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