Unplug for Sustainable Productivity
There once was a woman with a firm of her own
Who was unfortunately addicted to her so-called “smart” phone.
She said, “With social media I’m obsessed,
And every day I’m stressed without rest.”
Because when working she could never get into “the zone”.
(As bad as this is, no, it wasn’t written by AI but by yours truly.)
March 7 is the National Day of Unplugging. If you’re one of the many Americans who spends too much time on your phone, let this day liberate you.
Proper phone policies prevent piss-poor productivity
Like many other addictive substances, phones provide short-term relief from stress or emotional issues, but long-term heavy usage can be harmful. Studies show that just having your phone near you when you’re trying to work can decrease your ability to think, make decisions, and employ solid emotional intelligence.
Not to mention that all the notifications break your concentration and decrease your ability to focus for longer periods of time. If you use your phone at night, it’s harder to detach from your business and enjoy time with family and friends. This also drains your productivity tank so your performance the next day is subpar – just as if you didn’t get enough sleep.
Are there benefits to cellphones? Absolutely. I use mine every day for one reason or another. Though I do not use it to check social media (I only have those sites on my laptop) or order anything online, and I have all notifications turned off. In other words, I have boundaries around how I use the phone so it doesn’t degrade my performance.
No matter how glued you are to your phone, it’s worth untethering yourself and creating boundaries that work for you. Not only will your productivity improve, but you’ll also be capable of nurturing close connections because you’ll be able to really pay attention to the person you’re talking to.
Take back your time, energy, and attention
I know so many people – so, so many people – who say, “I just can’t get off my phone!” and then continue to have notifications enabled, carry their phone in an easily accessible place at all times, bring it to bed with them (!!!!), and whip it out the second they have to wait longer than ten seconds.
None of the business owners I know started their business to let others take control of their time and attention. But when you have notifications enabled, you are allowing the rest of the world to drive your agenda.
Think about that.
You might say you block time on your calendar… but that never works. Not because time-blocking itself doesn’t work, but because you are allowing anyone at any time to interrupt you and derail your agenda.
That’s why you’re adding small, inconsequential tasks to your to-do list just to have something to cross off at the end of the day. When you can’t set your own agenda, all you can do is react to what other people are doing.
And that is never going to coincide with the goals that you have set yourself.
When you think about it, you realize your phone never has to be in your sight when you’re working or talking to other people. Or driving, or walking down the street. If you’re waiting for an important call (whether that’s personal or business), you can still put your phone in a desk drawer out of sight.
When I’m outside, I carry mine in my purse or backpack (unless I’m shooting a walking video or something). I don’t answer it when I’m driving – and you should absolutely stop texting while driving.
And why is your phone in bed with you? It’s a tool. Do you bring your hammer to bed? (If you do, I kiiiiiinda want to know why but I mostly don’t.)
Your phone is not a lover, a loved one, or a pet. Those are the only things that should be in your bed. (Some people say you shouldn’t share your bed with your pets either but *I* am not a monster, thank you.)
Glowing screens prevent sleep, as do messages and information that you can do nothing about in the wee hours of the night. And you don’t get a jump on the day by staring at screens as soon as you get up; you get a jump on anxiety instead.
Instead of staring at your phone while you’re waiting in line, you could reflect on the day, give yourself some powerful motivation, chat with someone else who’s also waiting for whatever, or just do some people-watching.
How to improve productivity and performance with phone boundaries
In this day and age, you need to create your own boundaries. Knowing who is allowed to interrupt you and when is key to sustainable productivity.
You might consider things like:
When to allow notifications (never is perfectly fine, BTW, but you can start smaller as long as you start)
When phones should disappear (like after work when you’re having a family dinner)
Which apps need to be on your phone and which to uninstall
Times when it’s OK for people to call/text you and times when it’s not (such as your focus time at work)
How you’ll carry it (some place other than your pocket, where it’s hard to reach, unless you have a loved one in the hospital or similar emergency where you really do need to answer it quickly)
Where it gets charged (NOT in your bedroom – your phone shouldn’t be anywhere near your bed)
When to completely unplug (every week, maybe on the weekend)
Once you’ve chosen some boundaries, what do you need to be able to stick to them? For example, if you’ve been charging your phone in the bedroom because you use it for an alarm, go to the store and get yourself an alarm clock. They’re very cheap.
How will you relieve stress if you won’t be scrolling through “social” media feeds all the time? Take a walk, talk to a friend, play with your pets, …?
It’s OK to start slow, especially if your phone is practically glued to your hand. Try one day of unplugging and see how it goes. At first, yes, you might miss it. But what do you get in return? A chance to actually enjoy your walk in the park? Really hear your friends when you go out to lunch? Spot the turtle in the yard that bears the sign “Beware of Attack Turtle”? (True story.)
As with all addictions, you’ll learn to forego the easy, short-term dopamine boost to a better, healthier relationship with your phone… that also will help you build healthier relationships with the people in your life. And improve your focus and attention at work.
Recap (tl;dr)
Spending too much time on screens will negatively impact your performance. Create some boundaries, unplug once in a while, and enjoy the control you have over your own time and attention.
Need to create better boundaries for a healthier business? Click here to set up your free consultation to see how I can guide you to achieving more at work.
Photo by Rob Hampson on Unsplash.