If you’ve ever tried—and failed—to spend less time glued to your phone, here’s a surprisingly simple tip: Just cover your screen. Seriously. According to a recent WIRED article, turning your phone face down or literally placing something over the screen can help disrupt the habit loop that keeps you checking it compulsively. The article explores how visual cues are a big part of what draws us back to our devices, and how reducing those cues—even by something as lo-fi as a sticky note—can lead to less screen time. It’s not about blocking technology completely, but about changing our environment to help nudge more mindful behavior. So, if your screen’s out of sight, could it also be out of mind?

Key Points:

• The behavior-based approach: The article highlights that we don’t just use phones because we want to—we often reach for them without thinking. Visual cues like a glowing notification or just seeing your phone can trigger these unconscious scroll sessions.

• Research-backed idea: Behavioral science backs this up—reducing visual triggers can help break compulsive loops. Covering your phone screen or turning it face-down works similarly to how smokers might keep cigarettes out of sight: out of sight, out of mind.

• Low-tech fixes over high-tech solutions: While there are plenty of digital wellness apps and software-based tools designed to curb your usage, this method is completely analog—and free.

• Quote from the article: “Your phone’s screen is the trigger. Remove the trigger, and over time, you may weaken the habitual response.”

• Additional suggestions: Some experts recommend phone sleeves or cases that obscure the screen when not in use, or parking your phone outside of your bedroom or work area to create friction.

• Bigger picture: This approach aligns with habit-formation research from folks like James Clear (Atomic Habits) and BJ Fogg, who emphasize environment design as a key to behavior change.

• No apps required: Unlike monitoring tools like Screen Time (iOS) or Digital Wellbeing (Android), this tip requires no installation—just a deliberate shift in how you interact with your device.

Bottom line: If you want to check your phone less, you don’t need more tech—you might just need a napkin, a sock, or even a book to lay over it. Small environmental tweaks can make a big difference when it comes to reclaiming your attention.
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