There’s something about August that makes many of us want to slow down a little – longer evenings, different routines, a chance to breathe and yet, for many people, their phone still comes everywhere with them.

We photograph the meal before we taste it.
Scroll while sitting in the garden.
Half-watch films while checking notifications.
Record moments instead of fully being in them.

You don’t need to disappear.

Without really noticing, we can end up consuming everyone else’s summer instead of properly enjoying our own.

This isn’t about throwing your phone in a drawer or disappearing from social media altogether. Most of us use our phones for work, connection, entertainment and everyday life. Social media can be positive, funny, inspiring and comforting too, but there’s a difference between using it and constantly reaching for it and August can be a really good time to reset that balance a little.

Not in a HUGE “digital detox” kind of way. Just in a more practical –

“I’d quite like to be a bit more present in my own life” kind of way.

Stepping back from scrolling.

 When you step back from constant noise and scrolling, we often notice something quite interesting…and that’s life feels calmer.

You think more clearly.
You compare yourself less.
You stop feeling quite so “switched on” all the time and suddenly ordinary things start feeling enjoyable again.

A proper conversation or an uninterrupted cup of tea. A walk without checking notifications. Sitting outside in the evening without automatically picking up your phone every few minutes.

Tiny things — but they make a difference.

Practical ways to reduce screen time this August.

1. Create Phone-Free Pockets

You don’t have to cut screen time completely. Instead, choose small moments where your phone stays elsewhere:

• during meals
• on walks
• in the garden
• for the first 30 minutes of your morning
• an hour before bed

Small gaps create breathing space surprisingly quickly.

2. Stop Filming Everything

Not every moment needs recording. Some experiences feel better when they’re simply lived. You’re allowed to enjoy something without posting it, photographing it or proving it happened.

3. Turn Off Notifications You Don’t Need

Most people don’t realise how much mental interruption comes from constant alerts.

Switch off non-essential notifications for a few weeks and notice how different your brain feels. Less reactive, less distracted, less “on edge.”

4. Replace One Scroll with Something Else

Instead of automatically reaching for your phone:

• read a few pages of a book
• sit outside for ten minutes
• listen to music
• potter in the kitchen
• have a proper conversation
• simply rest

The goal isn’t productivity. It’s presence.

5. Let Yourself Disappear a Little

You do not have to be available all the time. You do not have to respond instantly. You do not have to keep up with everything online.

It’s okay to step back a bit.

The internet will still be there when you return.

A final thought

August doesn’t have to become a perfect “slow living” fantasy, real life still exists. People still work, families still argue, laundry still needs doing.

But there is something quite freeing about putting your phone down a little more often and realising: life is actually happening right in front of you and sometimes, the most meaningful moments are the ones nobody else ever sees.

The post Can you take a break from screen time this summer? appeared first on KATE TILSTON - PRACTICAL LIFE COACH.