Plan time to spend away from screens

As we take time to make our plans and arrange our schedules, it’s hard to imagine that time only a few years ago when none of us had the smartphones that now play such an important part in our lives.

Yes, they are convenient, and every day seems to bring a new app we soon can’t imagine living without.

While they make arranging meetings and finding information so convenient, a closer look reveals advantages to logging off we may not have thought of:

• Improved sleep: Exposure to screens before bedtime can disrupt our natural sleep cycle and make it harder to fall asleep. Getting away from screens before bed can help you sleep better.

•Reduced eye strain: Staring at screens for long periods of time can cause eye strain and fatigue. Taking breaks from screens can help reduce this strain and improve your overall eye health.

•Increased physical activity: Spending less time on screens can give you more time to engage in physical activities like exercise, sports, or outdoor activities, which can improve your overall health and well-being.

•Improved mental health: Constant screen use can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and depression. Taking breaks from screens can help reduce these negative effects and improve your mental health.

• Better social connections: Spending less time on screens can give you more time to engage with people face-to-face, build meaningful relationships, and strengthen your social connections.

• Increased productivity: Screens can be a major distraction and can reduce your ability to focus on important tasks.

Surprisingly, confirmation of those advantages comes from an unlikely source: A cell phone company itself.

During this National Screen-Free Week, UScellular created the “Phones Down for Five” challenge, encouraging users to choose a time limit that best meets their needs to put down their phones and reconnect with their friends and family.

“National Screen Free Week gives us a chance to focus on alternative activities for families and communities to connect with each other,” said Brandi McCune, UScellular’s director of sales for Nebraska and western Iowa.

UScellular offers the following tips to make the most of National Screen-Free Week.

• Disconnect Wisely: Needs may dictate not being able to disconnect completely — and that’s OK. Entertainment screens mean you can’t use Screen-Free Week as an excuse not to do your homework or job. For Screen-Free Week, only use your cellphone and computer for necessary school work and tasks related to your job.

• Out of sight: Put your phone somewhere you won’t be readily able to see it, such as a drawer or cabinet. Keep it in your purse or bag while in your car, and consider switching off notifications and turning on airplane mode.

• US Mode: US Mode is a UScellular initiative to help smartphone users better utilize customizable native focus settings on their smartphones.

• Spend time with people you love: Grab dinner with a friend you have not seen in a while. Have a meaningful conversation with your partner. Invite your neighbors over for a board game night. Cook a complicated recipe with your family.

• Get creative: Draw, dance, write, paint or get creative in the kitchen. Use your screen-free time as an opportunity to reconnect with your creative side and sharpen your brain.

• Get out. Work out. Chill out: Spend time outdoors to get fresh air and be in nature. It’s good for your mental and physical health.