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How To Get On Top Of That Pokie Machine You Carry Around In Your Pocket.
11 May 2017
When Steve Job's created the iPad, he revolutionised the world. But what he didn't tell anyone was the fact that he didn't let his own children use it, or at least, he severely restricted their time on electronic devices overall, and he did this for a very good reason.
Excessive time on my phone has been a problem for myself, and it's probably an issue for you as well. The average person is spending three hours on their phone daily, scrolling aimlessly through the newsfeed, or responding to those 'super important' emails...
And it's no surprise that as a result, today's kids are spending 20% less time playing with each other face to face. Instead, they're on electronic devices, missing out on developing an essential sense of empathy, and the required emotional intelligence for a healthy mental state.
So it goes without saying, mastering your phone addiction and the overwhelming desire to not miss out on, well, basically absolutely nothing, is vital in the world of business, school and importantly, the work place.
Here's a few ways to kerb your dirty little habit...
1 - Saying "I can't check Instagram while I'm at work", is different to saying, "I don't check Instagram while I'm at work."
Saying you "can't" is causing a war in your mind, you want to check Instagram, and your brain will fight for it. But saying, "I don't check Instagram at work, it's not what I'm all about" is different. You're making the conscious decision, it's not an external pressure to do something, it's your choice, and part of your values, this sticks better.
2 - Make laziness your superpower.
If your phone is out of sight, in another room and out of reach, you're more likely to stay off it while you work/study, or even speak to another human! To make this concept work, keep your phone on silent. Hearing your phone buzz will be your equivalent of a baby crying in another room.
3 - Set some boundaries.
It's so easy to get stuck in a ludic loop, the feeling of tranquillity when you just get stuck in an addictive process over and over again. This is when you scroll aimlessly through the feed for an hour at a time and the explanation for the name of this post. From the moment you get on your phone, tell yourself. "I'm not the kind of person that spends more than three minutes at a time on my phone", or maybe even start with five minutes? This will save you hours per day!
4 - Replace the habit.
This is simple, but an effective way to help you out. When have you the urge to go on your phone, pick up a book? Or study for the inevitable 15 minutes you nearly just wasted? Don't just go cold turkey on your phone, just use the time you were going to waste in a different way that stimulates your mind.
In summary, it's silly to say you should just throw your phone away. Using social media wisely can be a vital tool towards your success, but at the same time, social media can be responsible for your demise, your lack of productivity, and the reason you under-achieve.
Just image, if you turned two of those three wasted hours into study time? Time on your dream business idea? Or for Christ sake, time with your family and friends?
To me, I think you'd be a whole lot happier living this way.
Just a quick note, this article was inspired by the blog post, http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2017/03/how-to-stop-checking-your-phone/ on the website http://www.bakadesuyo.com. Coming across this particular post explained what I knew was already happening, but was also utterly oblivious to at the same time. It's also a valuable resource, with a tonne of awesome read's going up almost daily.
If anything here in this article was of value to you, the best thing you can do is share it with a friend. It would mean the world to me! And then maybe, jump off your phone for a while?...
Daniel Kovac - Founder of PipeVine & a self-diagnosed phone addict.
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