Truth be told, most people love spending time on their phones, either through online meetings, playing games, using social media or phone calls. Phones are a medium of communication but if used to the extreme, they can trigger hazards. If not careful, phones can also be addictive and have even ruined physical connections. I have met people who can’t sustain a conversation of 15 minutes without checking their phones. They even pose and just respond to a text or WhatsApp message and continue with the conversation, or get lost in their phones that they forget about what you’re actually talking about because they are absentminded. When it comes to work, it is easy to waste two hours of your time or more if you’re easily distracted with your phone. Phone notifications can keep you impatient and eager to know who could have texted you or posted something. Before you know it, if you intend to just read some messages briefly and go off, unfortunately, five minutes can turn to 30 minutes, one hour to three hours and even more. It’s very possible to miss out on deadlines, submit late or hand in raw work just because much of the time wasn’t used productively. I was once a phone addict; I could press my phone even when there weren’t any notifications. At least I would search for my best celebrities or call up a friend or check out some WhatsApp statuses. But this changed when I realised how much time I wasted in a day just on the phone. I noticed my problem and sought a solution. First, I left all WhatsApp groups that weren’t that important because they kept my phone buzzing with messages all the time. There is no doubt that when we don’t limit some phone conversations, we are wasting our precious time. I came to the realisation that I could actually work on a story in about one hour or less if I am not distracted with my phone, yet if I am distracted with it, it can take me about three hours on one story. Another thing that helped me is turning off my data whenever I am busy. I believe that any message can wait, if something is urgent, then someone should call. If you use your phone often, you will notice that you tilt your head forward and downward just to check it, there is a possibility of straining your head and neck. You won’t be able to work properly if the pain worsens. It’s hard to concentrate with your phone in your hands. Studies have shown that spending too much time on your phone is bad for your focus and mental health. You can actually turn off your phone notifications so that you don’t get to see who liked or commented on your photo, and so forth. It would give you the sense of relaxation knowing that your friends won’t complain that you haven’t responded to them as it is obvious that you’re offline. You can also set an alarm on how often to check your phone either after one hour or two, as you wish. This will enable you to utilise your time for working on urgent tasks and when your alarm rings, you can get a short break of about five minutes and resume with work. Phones can affect one’s productivity especially if they are kept on top of your working table or desk. Even if your employer doesn’t ban their use, it’s a good idea to limit yourself. Keep your phone in your bag; at least if it isn’t in your presence you won’t be tempted as you would while seeing it in front of you. It’s very rude using your phone in a meeting, whether texting, playing games or updating your Facebook info or editing your picture for posting. It undervalues the person who is conducting the meeting and the people in the meeting. Such behaviour is a signal that you’re not actually interested in whatever matter that is at hand or your job. Too much screen time can deprive one of their sleep, a study in 2012 by the Atlantic revealed that a percentage of specific age demographics lose sleep due to overexposure to technology.
