The paradox of the cell phone. Most of us are used to having our cell phones with us all the time, in fact, we feel almost naked without them. We enjoy being connected and it’s great having information at our fingertips. Unfortunately, there is a downside to 24/7 connectivity, as cell phones create considerable distractions in our everyday lives. Whether we are aware of it or not, we come to anticipate the arrival of a new email or text message, and repeatedly check in on social media. The constant stream of alerts can shatter our ability to focus and concentrate.
Cell phones can affect our personal relationships. Research shows that in the presence of a cell phone, people have less eye contact and miss many subtle social cues, like a change of tone or facial expression. Every time our concentration is broken, there are fewer chances to form long-term memories. The irony is that while cell phones are supposed to make us more connected and efficient, they can make us more scattered and less productive. We need to take time away from our devices and manage them more effectively.
Here are some tips to break free from cell phone co-dependency:
Avoid leaving your smartphone on your desk.
Like the adage: “out of sight, out of mind,” putting your phone away reduces the urge to constantly check your device. In time, your frequency of cell phone use will decrease.
Mute email alerts.
To perform at our best, we need to create distraction-free environments. It may not seem like it, but constant connectivity makes us tired and less effective. Over time, we feel depleted and scattered from the endless programmed reminders.
Schedule distraction-free times when you’re only doing one task.
Although “single-tasking” seems logical, it can be hard to achieve. It takes an effort to designate cell phone-free time in your day. Using transition times, like walking to the subway, to school or work, provides good opportunities to stay away from devices.
What are the benefits to breaking free from cell phone dependency? Quite simply, you will be able to live every moment to the fullest. And the benefits are not just for you, everyone around you will notice. Being present to your friends and family is more fulfilling for all of you, because listening is just as valuable, if not more so, than talking. Each time you are fully engaged, you give your listeners the gift of your presence.
Think of the marshmallow… Can delay of cell phone gratification make you smarter? The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment, a famous study on delayed gratification in the late 1960s and early 1970s would seem to suggest it does. In this study, children were offered a choice between one small reward (usually a marshmallow) provided immediately, or two small rewards if they waited for a short period, approximately 15 minutes, during which the tester left the room and then returned. In follow-up studies, the researchers found that children who were able to wait longer for the larger rewards tended to have better life outcomes, as measured by SAT scores, educational attainment, body mass index (BMI), and other life measures. We are not saying that you will get smarter and have a better body by waiting to use your cell phone, but maybe you’ll develop the focus and concentration to get there.
* Adapted from Is Your Smartphone Making You Dumb? Ron Friedman, PhD, Psychology Today, Jan 06, 2015.
For upcoming Free Mindfulness Events and workshops please visit: http://mindsana.com/events/walkin-event-november/ or visit our website: www.mindsana.com for tips and guided meditations.