Can't kick your smartphone habit? Try mindfulness meditation

Erin McLean realized she had a problem when she found herself scrolling through Instagram — but couldn't even remember picking up her phone.

It's like a tornado of phone and social media use.- Erin McLean

"It was just habit, I just picked it up and automatically went to do it," said McLean. 

The feeling of being swept away by a screen is very familiar to the 33-year-old from rural Ontario. Whether it's first thing in the morning or late at night, McLean said the urge to be connected and productive can sometimes be overwhelming. 

Because she uses her phone for work and to keep in touch with friends and family overseas, quitting her phone cold-turkey isn't an option. Her phone habits have even started to affect her relationships, said McLean. 

"I feel like I'm always searching for ways to be connected to people, but I feel way less connected to anyone. It's really sad. I really don't like it. I really wish that it were different. It's out of control."

McLean wrote to Now or Never in our You Got This! Facebook Group, asking for advice on how to overcome the urge to constantly pick up her phone.

Finding some space from your screen

Jeff Warren, a Canadian meditation teacher, has personal experience with impulse control issues. Even though he's taught mindfulness to the RCMP, Google executives, and distracted teenagers, he still struggles to focus his attention.

"I'm always dealing with urges that spike up and send my attention in all these different directions," said Warren. "That's partly why I went to practice in the first place. I went to meditation to get some more space around that."

McLean, who has referred to herself as a "slave to [her] phone," certainly wants some space from her device — so we asked Warren to give her some advice. 

"Meditation won't stop your urges or cure your addictions," said Warren, "but certain practices can help you be more mindful of those moments you're tempted by Instagram or Candy Crush." 

"It's giving you more space to choose when it's the right time," advised Warren. "It's not being totally driven to compulsively check it every moment."

'SURF' the urge

Warren led McLean in a short meditation that is specifically designed to help people with their urges — including technology addictions. It's based around the core acronym SURF:

• Stop
• Understand
• Relax 
• Freedom

"The idea is the faster we are at noticing our urges, the less likely we'll be to helplessly act on them and the more quickly they'll pass."

"It's a slow process, but it's a very human process and there are really beautiful rewards on the other side," said Warren.

After going through this meditation, McLean said she's hopeful that "slowly but surely, [she] can take some control back."

Want to try to SURF your own urges? Click the play button below to hear Jeff's full meditation.