Productivity
April 9, 2015 | by Masumi Goldman
3 Tips to Increase Your Productivity

Some days, I feel like I work, move and hustle continuously, but when I finally get into bed at night and mentally review what I’ve accomplished, I have nothing to show for it. I know I’m not lazy, and I know I’ve been sitting at my desk working, so where did I lose all of my precious hours of productivity? Well, this is a bit embarrassing to admit, but I think I know the answer. My hours were lost to my iPhone.Productivity

I don’t mean that I surf the web for hours or get caught up in video games. Not even close. I probably don’t even spend more than 10-15 minutes at a time on my phone, but I’ve found that even a 30-second break to respond to a text, to mindlessly scroll through photos, or to check for new e-mails is long enough to break my concentration. Once the concentration is broken, it’s a process to re-immerse myself into my work.

Here’s a quick illustration of this point:

As an experiment, I placed my phone, face up, right next to me on the table as I began to write this post. After 40 minutes, I assessed my productivity. I wrote ONE paragraph. FORTY minutes to write four sentences! Geez…Yes, I happen to be a slow writer, but I’m not that slow.

The problem with having my iPhone next to me at all times is that it is a constant distraction—even after minimizing what I thought were the obvious distractions.

Let’s take a look at my current efforts to minimize phone distractions:

-My phone settings are configured so that all social media notifications are turned off.

-My text message notifications are on, but they are completely silent as they flash across my phone screen.

-Even my phone’s ringer is turned to silent mode and only buzzes for incoming calls.

Despite this effort, my phone still affects my productivity.

Here’s what happened during the 40 minutes that I was supposedly writing:

-I received 21 text messages and read all of them as they arrived.

-I responded to 4 of those messages.

-I checked my e-mail once.

-I checked my notification feed on Facebook once.

Each item on the above list probably took less than two to three minutes to address, but the end effect was not just a loss of two to three minutes of productivity.

The smart phone is such an amazing feat of technology, allowing me to travel and work and stay connected at all times, but it is a double-edged sword. This small device that acts as my phone, mini-computer, family photo album, public library, television, instant messaging service, etc, constantly calls for my attention and gives me the constant stream of information and stimulation that I crave. And of course, the more I give in, the more I crave additional information and stimulation. (Hence, the constant checking of the phone.)

I know I can’t be alone in this experience, and I know I can’t be the only one that is fed up with disappointing days of low productivity.

Here’s an idea: Let’s reclaim our days and be more effective with the time that we are given. This is my latest challenge to bring an increased sense of peace and mental clarity to my life. I hope you will join me! In an effort to limit distractions and maximize effectiveness and productivity, I will implement the following three changes in my life:

Reduce Frequency of E-mail Sessions to Three Times Daily
No more frequent e-mail checks through out the day. I am in the bad habit of turning to my inbox all day long—when I am bored, having writer’s block, waiting for a document to print, etc. Instead of continuing with this disruptive activity, I will set aside three specific times during the work day (no less than four hours apart) to check e-mail. While I respond to e-mail, I will focus on that task for no more than 30 minutes. At the end of 30 minutes, I will close my mail until the next allotted time.

Disable All Notifications on Phone
I will turn off ALL notifications on my phone— including text message notifications. Going forward, I will only check text messages during my planned breaks. The only interruption that will be allowed is the ring or vibration for incoming phone calls. I will not worry about urgent texts—there’s no such thing. If there is a true emergency, someone will pick up the phone and call me.

Treat Social Media as a Hobby
Think about your hobbies. Think about what they are and when you participate. No one pulls out a sewing machine to sew for ten minutes every hour. No one stops working to play tennis for ten minutes every hour. As a hobby, there is a special block of time set aside to enjoy it fully. To work well in my life, I think that social media needs to be compartmentalized, just like a hobby. I don’t want to whittle away at my potentially productive blocks of time with a few minutes of mindless scrolling every half hour. Instead, I will set aside two periods of time each day to connect with friends and family on my personal social media accounts. No more three-minute Facebook breaks that disrupt the work flow. I’m done with that. If social media is going to be a hobby, it’s going to be treated like a hobby.

15 Comments
  • I agree 100%!! I am trying to stop myself from randomly checking my emails and social media every 30 minutes, as the world will continue on without me checking that. I notice my work dramatically increase in productivity when I stay off and stay on track. Thanks for the extra tips!!!

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    • Good luck if you turn off your text notifications! I found that one to be the hardest to deal with. What if someone needs me?!! But then I realized that any true emergency will be communicated by picking up the phone and calling. There is no emergency on text.

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  • So true… My iPhone is my biggest addiction besides yoga

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    • We’ve gotta fight this crazy urge to check our phones all day long! It’s hard at first, but wait until you see how much you get done when you put the phone aside.

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  • Found this really great to read and definitely going to implement some into my life. I love all your tips on the phone and social media. Thank you masumi!

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  • This is great! I’ve recently deleted my fb acct. & am only using IG for my social media fix. I’ve also taken all social media apps off my iPhone so that I’m not mindlessly scrolling at random times. I have IG on my iPad to check once a day in the evening as my “hobby”. It is truly amazing how much mind space this frees up throughout the day & how much more engaged I am with the real people in my life. :) I also enjoyed your morning routine post.

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    • Thanks for reading and commenting! You’re even more disciplined than I am. That’s amazing that you have taken all of your social media apps off your phone. I’m sure you’re getting lots done.

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  • Thanks so much for writing this very inspiring article! Its true that i have lost hours of my day unnecessarily from my phone and social media. I will try for three times a day to check and respond to emails, texts, etc. It will save my phone’s battery life too! Thanks for all you do and be well!

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    • Thanks for reading! Let us know how you do with this productivity challenge. I think you will be amazed at how much you accomplish each day.

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  • Thank you for this post! I so struggle with this one. Not for loss of productivity but because I’m trying to heal from exhaustion/burnout and I find that time on my phone is stealing so much energy.

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  • Another great article and I 100% agree! To have a productive day I can’t start with my inbox because I would be stuck and trying to catch up for the rest of the day. Phone can’t be checked often either.::unless is mom :) he is te only one allowed to distract me :)

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    • Thanks for reading! And that’s a very smart approach to avoid your inbox first thing in the morning. That takes discipline!

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  • Ladies:
    You nailed it! I am obsessed with my phone and texting and I convince myself that I am being productive and multi-tasking by responding to everything. Ultimately, I am losing focus on the important tasks! Thanks for that article. I am ready to set some boundaries for my iPhone!

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