Is Your Smartphone Making You Anxious? How Phone Use Affects Mood and Focus—and What You Can Do About It

By Kelly LLoyd, Therapist 

In today’s always-on world, I find it harder and harder to ignore my phone. 

In today’s always-on world, I find it harder and harder to ignore my phone. I rely on it for work, connection, and information—but I’ve noticed how often it pulls me into patterns that don’t feel good. I’ll check it out of habit, hoping for a message or notification, and if there’s nothing there, I can feel oddly disappointed. It’s a cycle I’ve heard many people talk about, and one I’ve experienced myself.

As a therapist, I’ve become more aware of how these behaviours affect my focus and mood. Sometimes, even when I’ve got plenty to do, I’ll keep glancing at my phone—waiting, hoping, feeling a little restless. And then, finally, a notification comes through! I get a quick burst of excitement. But that feeling is fleeting. Very soon, I’m juggling tasks, planning replies, and managing time again—and before long, I’m back to waiting.

Why Smartphones Feel So Addictive 

The “maybe this time” feeling that keeps me coming back

I’ve started to think about why it feels so compelling. Through some research, I came across the term ludic loops—a concept used in gambling that describes a cycle of anticipation and intermittent reward (Sinha et al., 2023). It fits perfectly with what I experience: the “maybe this time” feeling that keeps me coming back.

For some people it’s social media likes or messages. For me, it’s often work-related—client enquiries or responses from colleagues.

It’s not just personal experience, either. Studies show that 95% of people aged 16 to 24 check their phone every 12 minutes (Korte, 2020). That’s a huge amount of checking. I can’t help but wonder how this impacts our ability to concentrate or tolerate boredom over the long term. Will the next generation learn to navigate it differently—or will it become even more entrenched?

Mood Fluctuations and Mental Focus

I’ve definitely noticed how phone use can affect my mood. I can go from feeling low and distracted to briefly excited and back again, all within a few minutes. It can feel a bit like chasing something—something that never quite delivers the emotional payoff I’m hoping for. And that repeated switching of attention? It leaves me feeling less focused, more anxious, and more drained.

Nokia, the alternative 

When someone comes to therapy and talks about feeling addicted to their phone, I really get it. And no, I don’t usually suggest throwing it out or getting a Nokia 3310 (though I’ve thought about it!). But I do believe there’s something powerful about being honest with ourselves about how addictive this technology can be—and thinking about how we might want to manage it differently.

Small Changes That Help

Here are a few ideas I’m trying which you may find helpful if you want to reduce phone use and its impact:

✅ Using a separate alarm clock so my phone can stay in another room overnight.

✅ Deleting certain apps from my phone and only using them on a tablet at home.

✅ Choosing to read a book on the bus instead of scrolling.

✅ Setting a time to “clock out” from work and stop checking messages.

✅ Leaving my phone in another room when I’m with loved ones, so I can be fully present.

These aren’t rigid rules—they’re small boundaries that help you feel more grounded. They give you space to focus, rest, and connect more meaningfully.

Therapy and Phone Use

If you’re finding that phone use is affecting your mental health, therapy can be a helpful place to explore it. Sometimes we use our phones to avoid discomfort, to distract ourselves from loneliness, or to feel connected in a way that’s hard to access offline. Understanding what’s underneath the habit can help you create a more balanced relationship with technology.

You don’t need to give up your phone. But a little more awareness, a little more intention, can go a long way.

About Me 

Kelly Lloyd, Therapist

I’m Kelly Lloyd, a Gestalt therapist at VIVA Therapy. I support adults who are feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected—often in response to the demands of modern life. I offer online sessions and work collaboratively with clients to help them develop boundaries, self-awareness, and emotional resilience in a fast-paced digital world.  

Work with me

📚 References

Korte M. (2020). The impact of the digital revolution on human brain and behavior: where do we stand? Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 22(2):101-111. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2020.22.2/mkorteSinha, S., Sharma, M.K., Tadpatrikar, A., Anand, N., & Kumar, R. (2023). Scrolling Mindlessly: Emerging Mental Health Implications of Social Networking Sites. J Public Health Prim Care, 4(3):179-181. doi:10.4103/jphpc.jphpc_41_22