For many people, the phone has become a new bodily appendage. We check it compulsively for every new message or notification, and sometimes mechanically in response to boredom or a downtime. But this tic can create problems in your personal life and at work.
We spend a lot of time with our noses in the screen, engrossed in apps, scrolling through social media, texting, or checking email. While this addiction has become the norm in some social environments, it can seriously harm your career. You could miss important information, lose productivity, or make a bad impression. It can cost you valuable assignments, promotions, and even your job.
“It’s very hard to reverse the impression you’ve given, even if it’s wrong,” says Andrew McCaskill, a career expert at LinkedIn. “Professional relationships matter. They’ll save you when results aren’t there.”
According to a Gallup poll, 58% of American adults say they use their phones too much, up from 39% in 2015. This addiction even extends to job interviews: LinkedIn reports of candidates who have made the blunder of looking at their phones during the interview with the manager.
If your loved ones who love you are irritated by your phone habits, imagine the impression you make at the office.
Here are some tips to help you assess and monitor your phone usage at work.
Measure your usage
Keeping track of how often you use your phone, when, and why is a proven strategy for changing behavior, says Stanford psychologist Jeff Hancock, a professor and social media expert. For example, if you want to cut down on your alcohol consumption, you need to measure how much you drink before you tackle the problem.
A video of you working—if you have a security camera—is even better than your call history for visualizing your phone usage, notes Julia Briskin, a data scientist at the University of Illinois. Also, ask people around you if your phone usage annoys them.
Detox yourself
Take a week or a month to reduce your usage, if possible (don’t ignore your bosses!). Let your loved ones know and ask them to text you sparingly. This will help reset your relationship with your phone. If you’re anxious, frustrated, or worried about missing out, your problem may be more serious than you thought.
Stanford professor Matthew Gentzkow conducted a study on digital addiction: “We paid people to reduce their use. Many were happy and, as a result, reduced their use later.”
Change your settings
Unlike other addictions, there is a silver lining to being addicted to your phone: It has features that limit your use, Gentzkow notes.
Change your settings and keep notifications from key apps only, or focus them all on specific times, like before work, lunchtime, and 5:30 p.m. Limit how long you can use certain apps with Screen Time (iPhone) or Digital Wellbeing (Android). Third-party apps like Forest And Moment can help reduce your time on social media.
Use the “Do Not Disturb” feature or set a timer to set periods of time when you don’t touch your phone.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
Not all workplaces are the same. Look around and get a sense of the workplace’s norms before you pull out your phone.
Corporate culture often involves imitation, particularly of the behavior of leaders in the company, notes M.me Hancock: It can mean getting a bit of a dressing down when you’re new. But it’s a learning process and you can’t be touchy, adds Mr.me Hancock.
Tell people what you do
In general, there is legitimate use of the phone at work. But there is a time and a way to use it without disturbing others.
Don’t use the phone when engagement and eye contact are required, says Mme McCaskill: Meetings, discussions, interviews, presentations, and even casual conversations with coworkers. Review emails or notes that might come up during a meeting in advance. “You don’t want your coworkers to question your respect for them or their work,” she says.
And if during the meeting there’s something you need to check on related topics or to handle an emergency, say so. A simple “let me check” goes a long way, Briskin notes. “If you don’t announce it, people may assume you’re on Instagram,” he says.
Do it like the good old days
Don’t be afraid to put your phone out of sight if you can work without it. If your phone is within reach, it’s easy to reach for it without meaning to.
Use the computer for your professional communications, you will be less tempted by your applications and notifications. In interviews or meetings, taking handwritten notes rather than digital ones avoids giving the wrong impression.
When in doubt, “doing it the old-fashioned way is a safe bet,” says M.me McCaskill. “Sometimes eye contact and a smile can go a long way.”
This article was published in the Washington Post.
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