Nomophobia is described as the irrational fear of being without your mobile phone or being unable to use your phone for some reason, such as the absence of a signal or running out of minutes or battery power.

Signs and Symptoms

The word nomophobia is a portmanteau made up of no + mobile + phone + phobia. In a 2008 study, researchers reported that 53% of mobile users felt anxious when they were unable to use their mobile phones and over half of users never shut their phones off. Subsequent studies have found that the numbers have increased since then.

• Anxiety kicks in when your phone battery gets low.
• You can’t leave the house without your smartphone.
• You put your life or others’ lives at risk to check your smartphone.
  

  Image Courtesy Charge IT spot

   

How to overcome nomophobia

You are spending too much time on your phone. What next? We recommend slowly cutting down your tech time with our 30-day digital detox challenge or 5:2 digital diet.

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You could even swap your modern mobile for a stripped-back phone such as the ‘Punkt’ mobile when out and about. This retro handset doesn’t allow for the modern features and apps we’re accustomed to, but still lets you make and receive calls in case of emergencies.

Or hand in your phone and check into one of our life-changing digital detox retreats in Italy and the UK.