ALARA Principles to reduce Your EMF exposure — Practical Everyday Guide

From my clinical experience in radiation protection, I can say the best protection measures are simple, practical, and tailored to daily life. The clinical ALARA principle — “As Low As Reasonably Achievable” — translating to everyday non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (EMFs) means finding realistic ways to reduce exposure while balancing comfort and daily needs. The ALARA principle has been used in hospitals for X-rays since decades because even very small doses of ionizing radiation may carry some risk. The same cautious mindset can guide us for EMFs. We don’t yet fully know all biological effects, but evidence shows that certain forms of long-term EMF exposure can affect sleep, cellular processes, and overall well-being.

ALARA involves using three key tools: distance, time, and shielding. Applying ALARA to EMFs at home, at work, or when traveling helps you find a reasonable balance. Here’s how you can apply this principle to EMFs at home, work, and on the go. If you decide to do so, you can use these ideas like a menu — choose the steps that make sense for you and your family, so you stay connected and comfortable while keeping exposure as low as reasonably achievable.

Keep Distance

The easiest and most powerful way to reduce exposure is to increase distance from the source. Most forms of radiation, like EMFs, follow the inverse square law: doubling the distance means the exposure drops to a quarter. For example, holding your phone 10 cm from your head exposes you about 100 times more than holding it 1 meter away.

By placing devices away from your body, you use one of the strongest tools in radiation protection. This distance principle applies to all EMF sources: the further away, the safer.

Keep devices away from your body: Always keep phones, tablets, and laptops away from the body. Place laptops on desks instead of your lap. FCC standards for laptops and wireless computers are for 7 inches (20 cm) away from the body (FCC pages 10-11)
Hold your phone away: When talking, hold your phone an inch or more from your ear instead of pressing it against your head.
Use safer call options: Use speakerphone whenever possible or use a wired headset. Airtube headsets are better than standard wired ones because they don’t carry signals like an antenna. Wired earpieces may conduct some energy to the head. Wireless earpieces emit a small amount of RF energy. Both wired and wireless earpieces remove the greatest source of RF energy, the cell phone, from proximity to the head. This can greatly reduce total exposure to the head.
Be mindful with earbuds: Wireless earbuds or Bluetooth headsets emit their own radiation. If you use them, take them out when not needed.
Avoid body contact storage: Don’t carry your phone in your pocket, bra, or sock unless it’s on Airplane Mode. Keep it in a bag or on a surface nearby.
Protect children: Teach kids that phones are not toys. Don’t let babies or children sleep with a phone or tablet under their pillow or near their head.
Router placement: Keep Wi-Fi routers away from sleeping areas — the farther, the better, especially in kids’ rooms.

Limit the Time

Radiation dose also depends on how long you are exposed. In clinics, staff limit their time near radiation sources — you can do the same at home. Switch devices to Airplane Mode when you don’t need them, keep calls short, and shut off Wi-Fi overnight. Use timers to make this easy. Sleep is the best time to reduce exposure, so keep devices out of the bedroom or powered down. Even simple time limits add up to less EMF overall.

Airplane Mode is your friend: Put devices on Airplane Mode when you don’t need a connection — like while sleeping or after downloading movies.
Download and disconnect: Download files, music, or videos ahead of time so you can watch them offline without radiation.
Turn off at night: Shut off your Wi-Fi router every night. Use a timer switch or surge protector to make this easy. Avoid sleeping with your cell phone next to your head. Do not use it as an alarm unless the phone is on Airplane Mode (it still works as an alarm when on Airplane Mode). Keep it in another room. Use landline at night for emergencies. (Khan 2017)
Watch the signal: A weak signal means your device works harder and emits more radiation. Text instead of calling in low-signal areas.
Travel smart: In cars, trains, or buses, switch to Airplane Mode. Moving vehicles make devices constantly search for a signal, increasing exposure. Download maps, music or movies in advance
In the Car – Turn off bluetooth when not in use. Minimize use of cell phones in the car. The metal shields the wireless radiation and increases the levels of radiation in the car by a factor of 2 or more. (Dhami 2015)
Limit wireless earbuds and Bluetooth: Turn them off when not needed; take earbuds out between uses.
Easy shut-off: Use surge protectors or timer plugs to turn off multiple devices at once.
Install mains disconnect switches: They automatically cut off the electrical circuit in your home when the last appliance is turned off, preventing electric fields from lingering in the wiring overnight. When you switch a device back on, it instantly reconnects the power supply — so daily use remains smooth and automatic.

Use Shielding

If you want extra protection, shielding helps block or deflect EMFs — especially at night while you sleep. Shielding works very well for high-frequency EMFs (like phones and Wifi) by reflecting the fields before they reach your body. For example, a silver-coated canopy or netting around your bed can block more than 99% of high-frequency radiation if properly grounded.

Grounding helps discharge electric fields and is another practical step — for example, using grounded fabrics or grounding mats to reduce low-frequency fields from wiring or appliances. Combining shielding with grounding gives you a quiet, low-EMF space for your body to rest and repair.

Sleep Sanctuary: A silver-coated canopy or mosquito net around your bed can block more than 99% of EMFs if properly grounded. Environmental Health Trust and Safe Tech North Carolina have developed some recommendations.
Shield walls and windows: Use shielding paints or window films if you live near cell towers or busy streets with high EMF exposure.
Cordless phone swap: Replace DECT cordless phones with wired landlines; cordless phone bases constantly emit radiation (Bolte 2012).
Keep your landline: Use it for long calls — no EMF radiation, clear sound, and a direct reliable connection in an emergency (no triangulation of cell tower needed).
Hardwire when possible: Connect computers, tablets, and even phones via Ethernet to avoid constant Wi-Fi. Visit Safe Tech North Carolina , EMFAnalysis.com or electrosensitivesociety.com
Opt out of Smart Meters: Where local rules allow, switch back to analogue meters. Lamech in 2014 reported an increase in symptoms when Smart meters were rolled out in Australia.
Shielding accessories: Use phone pouches that block radiation on the body side, which block all radiation from the phone on one side to the body and reduce it on the other to revenue calls or text messages. But make sure they don’t make your phone boost its signal too much.
Protective clothing: Wear silver-lined fabric or underwear for extra protection during the day, especially if you spend time in high-EMF areas.

Family Tips

For families, these small habits make protection simple:

Children’s screen time: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends no screen time under 2 (except video calls), only 1 hour per day for ages 3–5 with adult supervision.
Remove wireless baby monitors (Clegg 2019)
Children should use a cell phone for emergencies only. Consider giving your child a cell phone at an older age (14 years or above)- Wait Until 8th Campaign
Teach smart habits: Encourage teens to use speaker mode, keep calls short, and store phones away from the body.
Smart toys: Avoid smart toys with wireless connections for kids; they add hidden EMF sources.
Baby monitors: Use wired monitors or keep wireless ones away from cribs.

Additional resources:

For more information and inspiration, see resources like:

Start with what feels reasonable. The goal is not zero EMFs — it’s to keep your exposure as low as reasonably achievable, in ways that fit your life.

SOLARHEALTH