Breaking the Cycle: Reducing Screen Time and Boosting Mental Health

Summer provides us with longer days and can give us the opportunity to re-evaluate habits that may no longer serve us, especially those linked to mental health. One of the most pervasive culprits? Excessive screen time.


Whether it’s doomscrolling through a social media platform, playing on new apps, or defaulting to Netflix after work, screen time has a way of numbing stress while simultaneously increasing it. But it’s not just about the hours spent; it’s the opportunity cost. Time on our screen displaces activities that support well-being like face-to-face connection, movement/exercise, nature, and intentional rest. And how do we break that cycle? According to James Clear’s Atomic Habits (2018): small, consistent changes can create transformative results – it doesn’t have to mean overhauling your life!  Here’s how we can use this approach to reduce screen time and build healthier habits for the mind and body this summer.


Strategies for Replacing Screen Time Habits
Clear’s Atomic Habits challenges the all-or-nothing approach. Rather than focusing on stopping a bad habit, Clear (2018) suggests replacing it with a more rewarding alternative that satisfies the same craving or need. Strategies for replacing screen time habits:

1. Make Healthy Habits Obvious, Appealing, Easy, and Satisfying
   • Keep a book or journal next to your bed instead of your phone.
   • Pair a new habit with something you enjoy (go for a walk while listening to an
   audiobook or podcast you enjoy).
   • Start small! Instead of “I have to read this book for 30 minutes” try reading a couple
   pages.
   
   
2. Swap Passive Screen Time for Active Engagement
   • Research shows that active forms of leisure-such as hobbies, volunteering, or
   movement-are protective against depression and burnout.
   • Try replacing 15 minutes of social media with something tangible: water your plants,
   draw/paint, call a friend, or journal.
   • Tackle a small task you’ve been putting off (like cleaning out a drawer or organizing
   an area in your space).
   
   
3. Swap Passive Screen Time for Active Engagement
   • Research shows that active forms of leisure-such as hobbies, volunteering, or
   movement-are protective against depression and burnout.
   • Try replacing 15 minutes of social media with something tangible: water your plants,
   draw/paint, call a friend, or journal.
   • Tackle a small task you’ve been putting off (like cleaning out a drawer or organizing
   an area in your space).
   
   

The Long-Term Mental Health Payoff
Replacing screen time with more rewarding alternatives/activities creates space for better emotional regulation, improved sleep, and deeper presence through mindfulness. As summer stretches ahead, you don’t need to disconnect completely. You may want to consider choosing, intentionally, what you connect to. Whether that’s a new hobby, meaningful rest, or deeper relationships, the result is more than reduced screen time – it’s a healthier mind.

References:
Clear, James. (2018). Atomic Habits: an easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones (PDF ed.). New York: Avery.
Viner, R. M., et al. (2021). Adolescents’ screen time and mental health: A systematic review of reviews. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1-15.

Genna Weinberg, LPCC
Therapist and In-Person DBT IOP Director
The Behavioral Wellness Group
8224 Mentor Ave #208     Mentor OH  44060
P:  440 392 2222 #802    F:  440 565 2349
gweinberg@intakebehavioralwellnessgroup.com
www.behavioralwellnessgroup.com