Stop Letting Your Phone Run Your Life

Our phones improve our lives in countless ways. We’re more accessible than ever to the people who are important to us. We can obtain information whenever we need it. We can easily record important events using our phones’ cameras. And handy tools, such as calculators, flashlights, recipes and GPS apps are always at our fingertips. But as useful as our phones are to us, they can be just as much a foe as friend. Many people are addicted to their phones, unable to go more than a few minutes without checking them. Pew Research published an exhaustive study in 2015 in which 46% of participants noted they “couldn’t live without their phones.” That dependency carries consequences. From watching videos and checking social media to listening to music and texting friends, our phones dictate whether or not we use our time productively. Smartphone addiction is more prevalent than you might imagine, and it doesn’t discriminate by age or gender. A 4th-grade girl is just as likely to exhibit signs of addiction as the male CEO of a Fortune 500 company. How do you know if you’re addicted? Here are some common signs… Do you often hope, while driving, to hit red traffic lights so you can safely check and send texts? Do you instinctively grab your phone when you feel awkward? Do you find yourself incessantly checking your texts, emails and social media accounts, cycling through them multiple times? Is your phone a constant presence when you and your significant other go out for dinner? Do you check your phone while eating meals, watching television and spending time with your family? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you’re probably addicted to your phone. As you’ll see below, your addiction can interfere with your daily productivity.

 How This Bad Habit Hurts Your Productivity

 Like any type of addiction, this one reinforces itself with each application. Every time you reach for your phone in any given circumstance, you train yourself to do so when that circumstance recurs. You know from experience that your phone can hamper your productivity. But you may not have considered the many ways in which it does so. First, it destroys your momentum. You might tell yourself that you’ll only check for new texts, but once you have your phone in hand, it’s too hard to resist checking email. You might even be tempted to check your voicemails and Facebook updates. Recall from earlier articles that each break in your momentum sets you back at least 20 minutes. That’s how long it takes to get back on track. Second, your phone addiction diminishes your creativity. If you’re like most people, you need time without a flood of visual stimuli to allow your creative juices to flow. Incessantly checking your phone creates a continuous loop of stimuli. Your mind is never given an opportunity to drift or rest. Third, your phone makes you more prone to distractions. Reaching for it every 10 minutes is like a sugar addict reaching for a cookie or piece of cake. Every time you do it, you reinforce the habit. The stronger the habit becomes, the weaker your defenses against distractions. Fourth, your phone makes you less present during meetings and conversations. When you check social media, send emails or reply to texts, you’re unable to pay attention to the people around you. (Moreover, you’re probably not as good at faking it as you might think.) Fifth, being obsessed with your phone makes you more likely to play games and use time-wasting apps. That, in turn, will slow down your workflow and hurt your ability to get things done. To be sure, it’s important to take breaks and enjoy various forms of entertainment. Your brain needs to disconnect periodically to stay fresh. The problem with your phone is that it’s a constant temptation, threatening to lure you away from your work at inopportune times. Sixth, your phone addiction will make you more inclined to confuse busyness with efficiency. With your phone always in hand, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you’re getting a lot done. In reality, your phone is filling your day with unnecessary tasks, such as checking Facebook, posting “tweets” on Twitter and responding to friends’ texts. It’s time to get your phone habit under control. Following are six action steps designed to help you do that.

 Action Steps 

1. Turn off your phone during time blocks you’ve scheduled to work on high-value tasks. You presumably set aside the time because the tasks are important to you. Don’t let your phone ruin your momentum and focus with its chirps, rings and other alerts. At first, this step will be difficult. That’s understandable. You’re working against years of self-imposed conditioning. But repeated application over time will make it easier. Plus, you’ll begin to notice your productivity rising during these time blocks.

 2. Refrain from checking your phone out of boredom. Boredom is one of the most common reasons we reach for our phones. You can see evidence of this if you visit your local Starbucks. Pay attention to the folks waiting for drinks. More than half of them will be on their phones, checking Facebook, reading texts or “Googling” information that has little value to them. Don’t use your phone as a crutch for boredom. Learn to live without it. The less often you reach for it, the more engaged you’ll be with your surroundings, your work and the people near you.

 3. Define the times and places you’ll allow yourself to check your phone. For example, you might permit yourself to do so while eating breakfast at home and while eating lunch at the office. You might also designate the period between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to be “phone time.” The point of doing this step is to preclude yourself from using your phone outside your designated times and places. For example, you’ll be less likely to grab your phone while enjoying dinner with your family.

4. Define the activities you’ll use your phone to perform. Limit the list to five items. For example, commit to using your phone for responding to emails and texts, making important phone calls and looking for driving directions. Refrain from using it for other purposes, such as engaging followers on Twitter and posting photos on Instagram. The point is, when you act with intention, you’ll be less likely to waste time. Shunning social media (on the phone) is just an example. I do it because the activity can so easily become a time sink.

 5. Monitor your phone usage throughout the day. Track how many times you check it and how much time you spend on it each session. Do this for two weeks. That should be enough time for trends to emerge. As we’ve discussed in previous articles , tracking how you use your time is a critical part of increasing your productivity. You may be surprised by how much time slips through your fingers each day thanks to your phone.

 6. Turn your phone off when you go to bed. Otherwise, the alerts and notifications may disturb your sleep. Also, if you take your phone to bed, you’ll be tempted to check social media, play games and respond to emails and texts. These things can easily draw you in and siphon away time that can be better used to get a good night’s sleep. Put your phone somewhere out of reach from your bed. That way, you won’t be tempted to grab it to take “one last look at Facebook.” Instead, use the time to enjoy seven or eight hours of restful slumber. You’ll be more productive and better able to retain information the following day.