I start most days early and almost all of my work – in fact a good bit of my life - is online via phone, zoom, and various chats and apps. To connect with the West Coast, I am often online at night too, making for long and productive days. My time spent looking at the screen - both on the phone and computer - has gotten longer. Picking up and looking at the phone is second nature, and while it is a wonderful tool, the phone can also create an unwanted distraction.
I’m not alone! I recently read a survey that on average we look at our phone around 150 times a day! I’m not among the 60% who sleep with my phone or check it as soon as they get up. Being among the 75% who report using the phone on the toilette – um – NO!
Gayle and I recently decided to unplug for a few hours in the evening – to be free from what I have not dubbed electronicus interruptus. Even a quick glance at the phone disrupts the flow of conversation or pulls attention away from the moment in which we want to be. So the phone is out of sight – put away.
We don’t mind knowing that there is nothing all that important under normal conditions, that cannot wait 90 minutes or so.
How often do you unplug completely?