I, like most people, take my mobile phone with me (almost) everywhere I go. I use it for standard features such as phone calls and text messages, as well as an organiser with (multiple) reminders, managing several email accounts (personal and work), various social media platforms (again personal and work), camera and video features, banking, games, music, the list goes on.
I remember the days when I didn’t have a smart phone permanently attached to my hand; I wasn’t stressed, I didn’t need Google to help prove points during a friendly disagreement, there were no posts on Facebook asking for advice from friends before making an adult decision, I had more conversations with actual human beings, and I didn’t play Sugar Smash or Candy Crush on the weekend.
Lately, I’ve come to realise that I am addicted to my phone. It is the first thing that I look at when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I look at before I go to sleep at night….It’s time for a break.
I’ve decided to put a couple of rules in place to help me reduce my phone usage, and get back to enjoying normal life.
- Activate the Do Not Disturb feature
By activating the Do Not Disturb feature, you can mute all notifications between a set time, for example: on my iPhone, I have the DND feature set for 8:30pm and 5:00am each day. - Turn off Notifications
Some apps offer push notifications – my suggestion is to turn them off where possible. My phone sits on my desk next to my computer keyboard when I am at work; when a notification comes through, it breaks my concentration and I momentarily lose focus on what I was working on….it impacts on my productivity. - Block-out time for No Phone Use
I must admit, I had trouble setting this rule. However, I’ve decided not to use my phone after 7:30pm in the evening, until the next morning. - No Phone at Lunch
During the week, I am often seen using my phone while on my lunch break, whether I am checking Twitter or Facebook, watching a YouTube video, playing a game or something else. I am now going to leave my phone at my desk and have lunch in the lunch room (this one was also hard to write!). - Leave the Phone at Home
It is possible to go somewhere without your phone! I left my phone at home when we went out for dinner last night, and I really enjoyed it. The family and I had real conversations, and weren’t distracted by our phones.
There is life without my phone, and I am looking forward to more and more positive results!
By Jessica Daley (Internal Account Manager)