Quick Bit: Please, Silence Your Phone

I look at my phone far too much. We all do. I've seen articles that say that the average person checks their phone 205 times a day, which equates to an average of 4 hours and 37 minutes a day. This isn't to say that we are going out of our way to check our phone, but with apps and notifications it is hard not to, especially as many of us rely on our phone for work. I noticed that I was checking my phone during work, going to the bathroom, watching a movie, hanging with the family, during dinner, etc.  Heck, I even noticed I would constantly be switching my view between my personal computer, work laptop, and phone. As someone that stares at screens all day for a living I can't help but think I should do what I can to limit screen time during and after work.  Touch grass as they say. 

I've been working on not doing that for the past few months and it has made a noticeable difference.

Being present is one of the best skills a person can have.  And I do mean skill.  It takes dedication and practice.  Being present reduces stress and anxiety, improves your relationships with others, provides mindfulness, concentration, and helps with self-awareness.  I noticed over the last few years that I've become more distracted.  It wasn't just due to everything happening in the world or my own personal load, though those were certainly factors. I think it was due, in major part, to constantly checking my phone and being subconsciously influenced into looking.

All apps are designed to engage and reward the user for continued use.  IE they are addictive by design.  This is a well known fact.  If apps are the drug then the phone is the delivery method.  So I decided to remove the distracting apps. But even after deleting the distracting apps such as Instagram and Reddit, I was still constantly checking my phone.  

Whether it be work messages from Slack (Why do I need a Slack notification on my phone when I’m actively using Slack on my laptop?), emails, Amazon deliveries, my doorbell cam, bird feeder, or prescriptions ready for pickup - my phone is constantly demanding my attention via notifications and pushes.  A few months back I turned them all off. Well except for texts or calls from a select few people.  

For the first week or two, I’d still feel that "phantom vibration" in my pocket, or I’d find myself reflexively reaching for my phone during a quiet moment only to realize there was absolutely nothing waiting for me. It’s a strange realization to find that you’ve been conditioned like one of Pavlov’s dogs, reacting to a digital chime that doesn’t even exist. But once that muscle memory started to fade, the mental static cleared with it. Instead of being pulled into a dozen different directions by a work message or a doorbell alert, I started regaining chunks of my brain that I didn’t even realize were occupied.

I found it helpful to batch my browsing, which is a common tool for productivity.  Instead of reacting to each and every message that popped up, or getting distracted opening up a non-work related tab, I would proactively plan small windows to check Slack, emails, social media, etc. on a computer browser.  This allowed me to start redeveloping my focus - one small task at a time.  

Ultimately, we have to acknowledge that technology is a tool, not a tether. Since I spend my professional life managing technical chaos and staring at monitors, I’ve realized that my "off" time needs to be sacredly analog. It’s not about being a Luddite or hating the internet; it’s about reclaiming the agency over my own attention. Presence isn't just a buzzword—it’s the difference between merely existing in a space and actually living in it. I’ll still check my emails and handle the work pings, but I’ll do it on my terms, not when a notification bubble demands it.

I highly recommend you give it a try. Now, if only I can convince my wife.