As the name suggests, today’s 2-Minute Tip focuses on technology—specifically your phones. We spend a lot of our days staring down at our phones. In fact, we check our phones an average of 150 times each day. If each of those times were only about a minute each (and we know that’s a conservative estimate), that’s 150 minutes a day–two and a half hours per day and nearly 39 days per year spent looking down at your phone and having a low visibility relationship with the people in your life.
Now, if doing that actually improved success or health or happiness, maybe it would be worth it. But ultimately it doesn’t. In fact, on the success side of things, every time we take a look at a text, just a two-second interruption makes us 2.2 times more likely to make an error on even the simplest tasks. Imagine the impact that that has on important projects at work or at home, and things that require extra energy or innovation or more focus and creativity. Now, every time we’re interrupted, it takes us about 11 minutes to get back to our previous level of focus and high-quality work…every single time we’re interrupted.
Our technology use also impacts our happiness. People who are less happy at work are 55% more likely to take their phones to lunch with them; while people who are happier are 275% more likely to take a leisurely lunch with friends. Getting rid of the technology, or at least taming our technology, makes a huge difference in our health, happiness, quality of life, and success.
So, what do you do? Tech is an important part of our lives, so we need some structure. Set tech-free zones and tech-free times. First, banish phones from the bedroom. Our phones have no place in the bedroom—they should not be the last thing we look at before drifting off to sleep and they should not be the first thing that we look at in the morning. Most people tend to greet their phones before they greet their people, their purpose, and their passion. They should be out of the bedroom. And it’s important to choose specific times each day and specific places in your schedule where phones don’t infiltrate your focus, your energy, and your attention. It could be at the dinner table, or walking your dog, taking time with your kids, or focusing on projects at work. Whatever it is, choose tech-free zones and tech-free times. Take charge by taming your technology and you have my word, your health, your quality of life, your happiness, and your success will all measurably improve.
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