Mobile technology has made it easier than ever to work on the go. Unfortunately, it has also made it a lot easier for us to get distracted. The average person spends five hours a day on their phone, and much of that time doesn’t have anything to do with work.
If you’re finding that there simply isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done, and your business is suffering because of it, you need to rethink how you use your cell phone. Here are four ways you can take control of your phone usage.
Deactivate Push Notifications
The first thing you should do is deactivate your push notifications, even the ones that seem important. Although they are convenient, and they allow you to respond to messages instantaneously, they are extremely distracting.
If you want to be productive, you should carve out time during your day to check emails, update social media, and contact clients instead of responding to everything the moment it comes up. You shouldn’t be doing it all, all day long. That forces you to multitask, which means you’ll focus less on the task at hand.
Turn Your Ringer Off
Although it’s convenient for everyone else to have you available at all hours of the day and night, it is doing nothing for your productivity. Not to mention, being on call 24/7 can do a number on your personal wellness. Plan non-tech time at least once a day where you turn your ringer off.
It could be while you’re eating lunch or for 20 minutes in the afternoon when you read the newspaper, but you should take a little bit of time every day to act like your phone doesn’t even exist.
Don’t Sleep Next to Your Phone
Nothing ruins your day before it even gets started like sleeping next to your phone. Chances are, it will become the last thing you look at before bed and the first thing you look at when you wake up, which can be distracting, but it can also keep you awake longer, causing you to get less shuteye.
Strive to Do Just One Thing at a Time
One easy way to cut back on the amount of time you spend on your phone is to do your best to eliminate multitasking and focus on just one thing at a time. That means don’t check your phone if you’re:
- Working on the computer
- In the middle of a meeting
- Composing an important document
Instead, only check your phone when it’s the only thing you’ve planned to do. If you’re struggling, place your phone out of sight so it doesn’t keep pulling your attention away from the task at hand.
Don’t let your phone control you! It is a great tool, but only if it is used properly. With these tips, you can take control of your phone usage, get more work done, and you’ll likely end up much happier in the process.