No Phone Zones

I tend to be very "plugged in." I get messages throughout the day from various people, both professional and personal. My personal cell phone is rarely out of arm's reach. So I'm not about tell you to go a "technology fast" or any other such absolute restriction. But what we are going to talk about is how you can benefit from controlling your connection to others, and not letting it control you.

When do You Most Need to Focus

As previously stated, I'm nearly always plugged in. My phone is rarely off. But that doesn't mean I respond to every message or even call right away.

I used to. I used to treat every message as important, every call like it was something crucial. I often managed to be a few minutes late arriving to things or completing tasks, even when I budgeted extra time. So I had to start disciplining myself, and identify the times when I was getting caught up and wasting time I didn't have.

Now, there are windows of time during which people know not to expect a response from me. One example is during my morning routine. From the moment I turn on the shower (ice cold of course) until I have arrived at my first destination of the day, the only thing my phone is used for is music and podcasts. If it's important enough, they'll call. Twice.

Identify the times of the day in which you know you need to be most productive, and start forcing yourself to keep your hands off your phone, for even a few minutes at a time at first. You'll be surprised at how much more you'll get done.

Vibrate and Silence are Your Friends

Another thing that has helped me immensely to not worry about what's going on in my phone is to leave it on vibrate or even fully silenced for progressively longer periods of time. At first I worried. What if I got an important call or message?

But the longer I did it, the more I realized that very few, if any of those messages or even calls were critical or time sensitive. People eventually just got used to the fact that during certain times of the day, I wasn't immediately reachable. They got used to leaving messages and waiting, and I got more comfortable getting back to them at a time that worked better for me and allowed me to accomplish more.

Silence your phone, and enjoy the freedom it brings. Try it for even thirty minutes a day at first. You'll be surprised at how free you feel.

When Does Your Phone Ring?

As always,  I want to hear from all of you. Tell us about how and when you cut the digital leash, and how you benefit.