Phone Resolutions For The New Year

It may still seem crazy to you (it does for us, too), but 2018 is nearly over; 2019 is getting closer and closer. We all know that when a new year comes up, so do our expectations of the year ahead and so we set ourselves new year resolutions, to make us feel organised and proactive for the year ahead.

It’s sooo easy to get complacent with our phones, but limiting the amount of time you spend on your phone, along with giving it a good cleanse, are great phone resolutions for 2019.

We’re always looking to help you giffgaffers out with your phones, which is why we’ve outlined our recommended phone resolutions for the new year.

1. Get rid of the apps you don’t use

It’s easy to clutter up your phone with apps, since half of the time we forget to delete the old ones we downloaded yonks ago, and no longer use. However great apps are, they do take up a big chunk of your phone’s memory.

So, if you’ve still got Tinder and you’re not dating anymore, or have completed every level of Angry Birds, but the app is still safely stored in your ‘games’ folder, it’s about time you got rid, to make way for brand spanking new apps that came out at Christmas.

2. Take a good look at your usage plan

It’s so easy to become complacent with your phone bill; you pay it, and it just slips out of your bank account each month without you even realising how much (sometimes) you’re being taken for a ride.

If your contract has run out and you’ve not cancelled it yet, chances are you’re letting your old phone contract just roll on every month. After all, it’s easier than trawling through and comparing the different deals online.

However, since the new year is coming up, you’ll likely be saving for something new, whether it’s a summer holiday, a new car or a deposit on a flat. Therefore, cutting the costs of your phone bill could be really beneficial.

So, look at your usage and see what deals you can get for how much you do (or don’t) use each month. Think about it this way, that extra ten pound you end up saving on a SIM only contract could pay your summer holiday off for the year…

3. Set yourself a no-phone-goal for two hours every night

As much as we like encouraging to use your mobile devices, we’re also aware of the harm they can do if you’re scrolling through them on a continuous loop, and not taking a break away from them. After all, social media is great but sometimes it really can take its toll on our mindset, so much so that we begin comparing ourselves to others.

So, planning on sitting down for tea after work? How about switching your phone on aeroplane mode for a little while? Or popping it on charge and letting it update itself, while you get some quiet time, time you can instead spend chatting away to family and friends about your day.

4. Take advantage of new phone features

The new functionality of Apple’s Screen Time is particularly beneficial if you’re looking to cut down on your usage, and fast. This handy feature presents you with your usage for the day and then adds up your total amount of phone usage for the week. So, if you’re an iPhone user, make sure you take advantage of this helpful function, where you can acknowledge how much actual time you’re spending toying around with your phone.

5. Reorganise your phone

Screenshots of memes, train times, and the Christmas shopping gifts we were under strict instructions to buy, can end up stored away in our phone’s photo gallery for some time, if we don’t give our phones a good clear out.

So, set a resolution to consciously clear out your phone. Get rid of faffy images, back up all-important photo files, go through last year’s notepad and clear out the information that’s no longer needed on there. This will seriously make you feel good; it’s like clearing out your wallet/purse of receipts, it makes you feel like you’ve got your act together and you’re ready to take on the new year.

6. Don’t use your phone in bed

We use our phones pretty much all day, but that should stop when you’re feeling sleepy and sinking into your bedsheets. Aim to take yourself to bed without your phone; you’ll feel much better for it. Think about it, there’s nothing you NEED to use your phone in bed for, aside from setting alarm.

So, prioritise your sleep over your phone from now on. Ironically, there are even apps that help you do this, as well as settings on your phone which block notifications after a certain time.

Have you vowed to do something with your phone that we haven’t mentioned? Made a new year’s resolution that you’ve promised you’ll to stick to? Get in touch with giffgaff, online and share your fun, interesting and even weird ideas with us.

Thumbnail image credit: The Verge