Spending time on your phone isn’t a bad thing. Neither is playing a game on your console. Or watching Netflix.

The important thing is that you do something else as well as using your devices. Go outside for some fresh air. Do some exercise. Visit friends for a catch up.

Sometimes though that is easy to think and say, but difficult to do. Screens are everywhere, and it can be tough to reduce the amount of time on them because of how many things you do on them.

If you know you should cutback but find it a challenge to do it, you may be feeling what is called ‘screentime guilt’. When you use your devices a lot, it feels like you are doing something wrong.

But you’re not! The fact that you feel screentime guilt just shows that you know you need balance. And knowing that is a great first step. You just need to work out how to make it happen.

Here are a few of our tips to help you balance your screentime and avoid the guilt.

Start Searching

You may have screentime guilt but only spend so much time on your device because you don’t know what else to do. Don’t worry, there are loads of things out there for you to check out. Why not use screentime to search for something like joining a sports club or volunteering?

Maybe Not Today

If it’s a busy screentime day, don’t panic. It could be that you have school work to do on your computer, and have also arranged to watch a film with friends on streaming. No problem. Simply arrange to do less on screens tomorrow instead or balance it over a few days. It all helps!

Measure Your Screentime

You may have screentime guilt, but do you really know how much time you spend on screens? There are apps that will track your screentime to show you how long you are on for. It may surprise you and be that final push you need to balance it out. If not there are apps that warn you when you have used too much screentime. Check them out!

Talk To Someone

If you are really worried about how much time you spend on screens, it is worth speaking to someone you trust. It could be a friend, a family member or a teacher for example. Tell them how you feel and they may be able to help you find a solution.