by Josh Gilman:

What do you think is the number one reason people tell us they watch porn? Not the reason they first see it, but why they return to it.

Boredom.

Yup. It’s one of those feelings we don’t like to feel. In a world where almost everyone is addicted to their screens and the shots of dopamine received from them, summertime can be a dangerous time. We take time off and spend more time just sitting around, and get bored and reach for our phones. It’s one of the main reasons why many people tell us they struggle with porn more in the summer months.

So here are 3 tips to being proactive and not letting porn pull you back in this summer:

1. Start a new hobby

We have more sunlight, the weather is nicer, and there is more outside time available to you. Start a new hobby, or exercise routine. Write out some goals that you have for the summer. Make one of them spending less time with your phone/laptop/ipad and set a goal of books to read, miles to run, or a new activity. Redo the yard? Build a boat? There are lots of options and all of them are better than spending time on your phone.

2. Plug your phone in

This one is going to be a particular goal of mine for the summer. In an effort to cut myself off from my phone, I’m going to turn the ringer on my phone back on and leave it plugged into the wall. It’s an attempt  to get back to the good old days and keeps a good distance between me and the phone. Bonus: it’ll be fully charged for when you leave the house!

3. Spend as much time away from your screens as possible

This one is like the last one, just not simply about your phones. Make a “no screens in the bedroom” policy that means no more Netflix in bed. Move the TV out of your bedroom. Or maybe even put it in the basement for the summer. Every moment that you are doing something more productive and healthier than looking at a screen is time that your brain is resting and healing. Even giving yourself time to be bored is a healthy action and gives space for contemplation or daydreaming.

In conclusion

Remember, your screens, whether transporting porn or not, are feeding you little shots of dopamine all the time. Spending less time with them will actually feel weird. One dad I know says that every summer they put all the screens away completely for the first week. They all go through a little detox together and then they reintroduce them, but now feeling in control of them. From family movie nights to fun research projects, there are good and productive uses for your digital devices. But let’s all make sure that they are the digital servants we need them to be for our lives and that we aren’t their slaves.