Want to lower anxiety? Put your phone away: 'The longer we can take breaks, the better our brains will be,' expert says

In his bestselling book “The Anxious Generation,” author and NYU Stern School of Business professor Jonathan Haidt discusses the societal changes that led to Gen Z’s spikes in anxiety and depression, namely the introduction of the smartphone and social media.

The book spawned the Anxious Generation Movement, a public health campaign “focused on changing policy, culture, and behavior,” according to its website. Led by Haidt, its team keeps track of legislature around child phone use and creates documents that offer policymaking ideas, among other initiatives.

Gen Zers aren’t the only ones affected by smartphones and social media. “We all feel it,” says Alexa Arnold, who serves as both the managing director of the movement and as Haidt’s chief of staff.

If you’ve felt your mental health take a hit in the last few years, here are Arnold’s tips for lowering anxiety.

First, decenter your phone in your life, says Arnold.