Smartphones are extremely useful and even fun additions to our modern lives. However, many people have developed a reliance on the smart phone that borders on obsession. This is especially troublesome if you’re in a relationship with someone with a smart phone obsession. Cell phones have become such powerful and versatile tools that, for many people, they feel literally indispensable. Being obsessed is like having tunnel vision: you lose the ability to see or care about anything outside the object of your obsession. Obsession becomes part of your everyday life, and can be related to fear; this differs from addiction, which causes someone to never feel satisfied unless he is indulging in the object of addiction.
Getting over an obsession is no simple task, but once you learn how to stop feeding the obsession and divert your energy to new people and interests, freedom will be within reach.
Get some distance from the source of your obsession:
When you’re obsessed with someone or something, being in close proximity can make it impossible to think about anything else. The closer you are to your obsession, the harder it will be to stop thinking about it. Maybe you’re obsessed with a particular pastime, like playing your favorite video game. If that’s the case, put the game out of your sight by uninstalling it from your computer or giving your console to a friend to keep for a while until your obsession dies down.
Stop feeding it:
Feeding an obsession can give you a little burst of pleasure, so it’s really hard to break the habit. Just thinking about the source of your obsession will strengthen its control over you. In order to break the obsession, you’ve got to starve it. Sometimes an obsession is so strong that it persists no matter how much you try to starve it. No matter how hard you try to cut yourself off, your thoughts might keep returning to your obsession.
If that’s the case, don’t be hard on yourself—you can still beat your obsession, it’s just going to take a bit more time
Distract yourself from your obsessive thoughts:
Cutting off your obsessive thoughts is a lot easier said than done. When it feels so good to think and talk about your favorite topic, why would you ever want to stop? Remember why you want to get over the obsession: so you can see past it and enjoy the other things life has to offer.
Do some kind of physical exercise that occupies your brain, too. Running and walking might not be your best bet, since you’ll have too much time to think about your obsession. Try rock climbing, caving, or playing a team sport that engages both your mind and body.
Works of fiction make excellent distractions. Pick up a new book or watch a film with themes that have nothing to do with your current obsession.
Focus on things you’ve neglected:
When you have an obsession, you don’t have time for anything else—like staying on top of your work, cultivating your relationships and pursuing interests outside the obsession. Once you start spending your time on other things in your life, you won’t have as much time to spend thinking about your obsession.
Repairing relationships that you’ve been neglecting is a great way to get over an obsession.
Your friends and family will be glad to have you back, and they’ll provide new and interesting ideas, problems, and drama to engage with. It will feel good to think about something new for a change!
Learn to be in the moment:
Living in the moment is not always easy. If you are having a hard time living in the moment, there are some simple strategies that may help. There are little things that you can do throughout your day, such as creating a mindfulness cue, learning to meditate, and performing random acts of kindness.
Eliminating nonessential possessions has freed us from many of the emotions associated with past lives that were keeping us stuck.