Turn Off Your Phone and Voila, Hello Productivity!

Smartphone addiction- it’s ‘a thing’, and it’s having a far greater impact on society than most could ever have imagined… You see, smartphone addiction is an obsessive-compulsive habit which many people have fallen victim to. Have you checked your screen time lately? Go on… we dare you! Chances are you’ll be in for a shock, given that the average person spends approximately four hours a day on their phone. That’s 1/6th of your day. Every. Single. Day.

In today’s world which seems to revolve around social media and online communications, there seems to be a constant need to check our phones, open notifications, and interact on multiple online and social platforms. As a matter of fact, statistics have shown that the average smartphone user checks and unlocks their phone between 110-150 times in a day. Now, consider this habit for an entrepreneur/business person who is trying to generate and grow their business and the valuable time they lose every day as a result of their smartphone habits and the distraction of notifications from social apps and emails.

Rather frighteningly, 58% of professionals use their smartphones during a board meeting, and the average person can only abstain from smartphone usage for three (yes three!) minutes before needing their next fix of technology. Everywhere you go you’ll see people with their head in their phones. Enjoying a concert, at a cinema, family days out and even dates- people just can’t help themselves from being lured back into the world of distraction, no matter where they are or who they’re with. This is not only getting in the way of business success, but personal relationships are suffering as a result of these damaging habits too.

Some people will get on the defensive when faced with these facts and try to justify their almost constant phone usage being necessary to their business success and maintaining their social status. However, the facts don’t lie, and you can’t deny that an extra few hours a day to commit to your business would have a positive impact on your success.

Moving away from your smartphone, and removing the regular Instagram checks, text messages and whatever else, will give you room to process your own thoughts instead of comparing yourself or your business with the posts you see on social media and being distracted by non-urgent messages from friends and family. What’s more, by being more ‘present’ with the people around you, your real-life personal relationships will improve as a result of you putting down your phone.

The proof is in the pudding, so allow us to demonstrate (and catch you out!). Where are you reading this? Odds are pretty high that you’re reading this from your smartphone! When you went on your phone initially, was it your intention to end up here, reading about how and why you should get rid of your smartphone addiction? Or, as is so often the case, were you distracted and led astray from your original plan of a ‘quick email’ or ‘social media check’?

There is no getting away from the fact that smartphone usage is an addiction, and as with any addiction you can break free if your willpower is strong enough! We are not saying cut smartphones out of your life altogether because it is more than obvious that in today’s world there is great advantages to using them, but set yourself some ground rules about device usage and stick to them. We also recommend turning off notifications on everything (yes everything!) apart from your phone and messages. All other apps serve as a distraction and you can opt in to checking them in your leisure time if you wish to. Another great tip (and one for those with little or no-self-control!) is to create a barrier between you and your smartphone. How? Simply with an elastic band or similar. Wrap it around your phone so it’s sitting in the middle of your screen. Now, every time you go to use your phone you’ll be posed with the question “Do I really need to use my phone right now?”, if the answer is yes, remove the band but if not, keep the band in place and continue to be productive with your time.

By following these few simple and effective steps, we promise that you’ll be left feeling more focused and present in all aspects of your life.