Addicted to your phone?

If the headline above made you slightly cringe, then this one's for you.

I was talking today on a coaching call about how we're spending our time, and that the Memtime app is proving to be a great way to see that time info when it comes to work stuff, or time spent on the computer.

Then I mentioned that the Digital Wellbeing app on my phone is showing me how I'm spending my phone time, and that it's showing me just how much time I'm spending on social media. And I had to admit that my phone definitely feels addictive and I think I have a problem.

I was reminded of this short clip from Simon Sinek where he talks about how our phones are impacting our relationships and our communication. It's one that's stuck with me, so sharing it here in case it resonates with you too. Even having our phone visible or in our hands affects the way we are perceived by the person we're talking to.

I've recognised that I'm spending far too much time on social media lately. And on watching TV too if I'm honest.

I know that I'm not alone in this, so the questions that we all then need to ask of ourselves are:

1. What void or need are we filling by spending time on our phones, and

2. What would be better? What could we do instead?

Because that might be the crux of the matter; if we aren't spending hours a day (yes, for me on some days it can add up to hours which is very embarrassing - I have a problem) doing these often mindless and distracting activities that don't really add any value to our lives nor help us to get closer to our goals, what could we do instead?

My mantra of "is this the best use of my time right now" doesn't just pertain to our productivity with our work hours, it also applies to our personal lives as well.

Is this you too? If so, watch the Simon Sinek video, and decide what you can do differently to foster more effective communication with those around us.

Here's to a productive day.