Few would attempt to argue that, in modern society, addiction to distraction became a norm. We carry access to the world with us in our pockets and purses. With this, we stay connected up to 24 hours per day. Our ability to access news, information, shopping, and endless varieties of entertainment far exceeds that of any previously known society. We spend time, energy, and money so casually that we barely notice it.
Distraction Caused by Device Addiction
We wake up to alarms set on our smartphones. As soon as we hit the button, we see a list of notifications that came in overnight. In some households, adults clear the entire list before spouses or children or partners receive their morning salutations. Emails, social media, game apps, etc. create distractions from the things that (should) matter most in our lives.
Those quick checks when we see the screen light or hear an apps tone steal moments, minutes, or longer from each day. For each important reminder, hundreds of time-wasters trickle in.
My Admitted Distractions
For me, my personal-use social media takes the cake as the biggest waste of time. Scrolling and liking things, but not finding ways to be productive toward my goals. Yet, I gave little attention to the aspects of social media that potentially enhance this site. The Facebook app, despite its limited value to me, opened far more often than necessary.
Random and useless e-mails that, for some reason, I never set up to batch in as a group created a constant distraction as well. Sometimes it feels like I endlessly unsubscribe to junk emails, yet more show up every day.
Most uselessly, I wasted my time playing secondary accounts on a tablet of the couple games I play to take a mental break. While those accounts did not double my time wasted, they did create a distraction from other more important tasks. For some reason, collecting imaginary supplies seemed valuable at some point.
Breaking Away from Distraction
Starting on January 14th, I came to some self-realizations of the time I wasted throughout my day. Motivated by the progress in my habits/rituals that I made this year and fed-up with constant distractions, I deleted the Facebook app off of my phone. I shut off and changed my notifications settings. The next day, I realized that I did not miss the app and felt grateful for the immediate impact those changes made. By midday, I canceled and closed all of my secondary accounts and deleted all other gaming apps that I rarely use. I decided that if they were there, then I may start a bad habit with them, so I deleted.
Now, I must say, I deleted only a few actual accounts, but I found a way that minimizes my ability to access them quickly. I limited the automated distraction aspects almost entirely. After a short time, already feeling liberated from fewer notification pop-ups, I decided to take my daily walk without my phone. Even though I rarely use my phone at all during walks, I found myself enjoying the beautiful outdoors just a bit more.
Break Away From Distraction Challenge
So far, the changes made only improved the quality of my day. I admit these decisions were not long thought out, more like rash decisions made at an intense moment. However, I recognize the limitless potential these changes created for enhancing productivity.
I won’t be setting a timer to remind me to go back, but for the next 30 days I am challenging myself to:
- Keeping Facebook off of my cellphone
- Creating no-screen zones and periods in my day allowing me to focus on the specific task at hand
- Buying a regular alarm clock so I do not need my phone nearby
- At least 30 minutes without a screen each morning
- At least 60 minutes without a phone before bed
- Allowing myself screen time after completing all tasks and goals for the day
- No more than 7 hours of television per week
- Setting up daily time limits for screen time activities
The key is to control your screen; not to let it control you! Give this challenge a shot for 30 days and see how much more you get done with your life. I recommend tracking the accomplishments made in the extra time. Even with minimal restrictions, making the simple change to only surfing or playing after all daily work is complete can make a dramatic impact on how much we finish each day.
Since making these changes, I find myself with extra time for reading, meditating, relaxing, and other activities. I even finish my tasks more quickly since I focus and do not want or need breaks. My greatest benefit so far has been dedicating extra time to studies and learning new skills, something that adds value to my life long-term.
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