If you are scared to read the entire article because it looks VERY LONG, this article is meant for you. The whatsapp addiction is apparently becoming more dangerous than other common addictions like tobacco, cigarettes or alcohol.

Updated: June 2023: Practical steps to overcome WhatsApp addiction are given below.

I found myself addicted to twitter and decided to get over that addiction immediately because I found out that it was wasting my valuable time, delaying the things that I must be doing on priority.

I even found out that I've had periodic urge of checking out what people have posted on twitter or whatsapp group. I'd then open the app and keep checking all the updates until the time I found out that I've already wasted a lot of time.

I think I've come up with a definitive guide to getting rid of whatsapp addiction, or for that matter - any type of addiction. I've fixed my twitter addiction by following these pointers and hope you will, too. Because you should.

Step One: The FIRST and THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE.

I'm 100% sure that this is the most critical step in getting over any addiction. If you skip this step and directly jump over to the other ones, nothing else will ever work.

The step is very simple: Acknowledge that you are addicted to facebook / twitter or whatsapp. If you don't acknowledge, you can't get over that addiction ever! Easy, right?

But 99.99% of you will NEVER admit that you're addicted. I wish you the best!

Finding A Better Addiction: Right! You need to feed your brain with an addiction that will help you.

Your brain must be constantly engaged into something that facebook / twitter or whatsapp will look like a distraction from something extremely interesting! Now what could this new addiction be?

There are several choices - and I bet you've never ever imagined that they'd be interesting.

Here are a few examples which you think are extremely boring, but only when you start exploring - you will find them interesting viz. reading books, learning to play a musical instrument, starting a side business, learning to cook (without posting photos of your new dish facebook for recognition of your achievements), learning a new programming language. If nothing works - meditation right at your office desk.

I bet it's super more useful to your own life than checking crappy messages forwarded by people.

Most of the things I mentioned above would look very boring - because you never tried them with the passion of an explorer. But if you ever do - you'll discover an entire new world; that will make you feel fulfilled; which no whatsapp / twitter / facebook can. It's a feeling that you will have to experience to really understand what I'm saying.

This is how you are wasting your own life​

If you can't uninstall apps: People are averse to uninstalling the social apps from their phones - because almost everyone thinks that the apps ARE a way to keep up to date with friends. If you can't - why not simply decide a time, say before you go to bed, to check all of these apps ONLY ONCE in a day? I'm sure 99.99% of the times, you won't miss anything important. That's a great tradeoff for feeding our brains with useless motivational messages forwarded from the Internet. Do you agree?

Start a business: Everyone secretly dreams of having their own business and earn lot of money. Why not give it a serious thought and start a small business, part-time? I know you work 9 to 9 and are left with no time; but that's where the first challenge is! Start something that looks impossible and experience how your own belief that 'I've no time' is destroyed.

All of the above is for those who really want to make their life stories interesting for real, and not having to fake it on Facebook or whatsapp. I'm curious to know if this article made sense and if you've decided to do something about it? Else, I've already wasted my time and energy in writing this article; I can't take it back even if I want.

Practical Tips to Stop Checking WhatsApp

Here is a step-by-step plan that can help you overcome WhatsApp addiction:

1. Self-awareness: The first step is to acknowledge the problem. Consider how much time you are spending on WhatsApp and how it is affecting your daily routine, work, study, relationships, or even your health. Use an app tracker to determine the exact amount of time you spend on WhatsApp daily.

2. Setting Goals: Decide on a realistic time limit that you want to cut down to initially. For instance, if you're currently using WhatsApp for 5 hours a day, you might want to cut down to 3 hours as an initial goal.

3. Scheduled Use: Instead of randomly checking WhatsApp throughout the day, set specific times to use the app. This could be in the morning, during lunch break, and in the evening. Start with these scheduled times and then gradually decrease them.

4. Turning off Notifications: Notifications can be a major distraction and can cause you to spend more time on WhatsApp than intended. Try turning off notifications or at least mute them for certain hours when you want to focus on other tasks.

5. Activities Replacement: Find other activities to occupy your time and mind. This could be reading, exercise, taking a walk, meditation, learning a new skill, or anything else that interests you. This will not only help distract you from using WhatsApp but also enrich your life in other areas.

6. Delete WhatsApp: If it's not absolutely necessary for you to have the app, consider deleting it for a while. This could be for a day, a week, or even a month. This will help you to break the habit of constantly checking the app.

7. Digital Detox: Consider doing a full digital detox, where you spend a day or even a weekend without using any digital devices. This can help you reset your relationship with technology.

8. Use Technology to Assist You: Use apps that limit screen time or block certain apps during particular times of the day. Examples include Freedom, StayFocusd, or Screen Time on iOS.

9. Social Support: Inform your friends and family about your decision to limit your WhatsApp usage. This will help them understand why you may not be as responsive as before. They can also provide emotional support and keep you accountable.

10. Evaluate and Adjust: After a week or two, evaluate your progress. If you've managed to reduce your WhatsApp use, great. If not, don't be too hard on yourself. Identify where you struggled and make necessary adjustments to your plan.

Remember, the goal is not to quit WhatsApp completely (unless you want to) but to create a healthy balance where you are in control, not the app.

It's a gradual process, and every small step counts. Persistence and patience will go a long way.