I have a problem and I need help. My phone use is spiraling out of control and I have full on phone face, as in my face is always staring at my phone. It’s a regular occurrence that my husband asks me a question and I say, “oh, what? Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention (because I was on my phone).” I’m addicted and it’s sad. That’s step one, right? Admitting you have a problem.
Yes, yes, laugh away, go ahead, but now stop to think – do you have the same problem as I? Are you constantly on Facebook? Work email? Gmail? Candy Crush Saga? Clash of Clans? Pinterest? Instagram? Tinder? Yeah . . . that’s quite a list.
Therefore, I’m considering conducting an experiment. What would happen if I turned off my work email and several other attention-hogging apps at 6 pm on Friday and then turned it back on at 6 pm on Sunday? Would the world come to an abrupt end? Would my world suddenly end? I must say, the thought of doing so does cause a rise in my anxiety level, but what if we took a break like this every weekend?
Readers, I want to know, what is your phone policy on the weekends? Before I conduct the above experiment, I’m seeking anecdotal evidence from readers. Please leave in the Comments below.
I guess I could always just give up and bury my face in a watch instead. Sigh.
Great discussion. A few thoughts…
The key to being able to turn off your phone on weekends is to make sure that you manage people’s expectations. If you’ve done a poor job managing expectations, then people will expect a response and your career can be impacted by it. However, if you manage those expectations, then you can shut it off without worry.
There’s a nuance to this discussion that I think is really important. Do you really want to not work on the weekend? If you’re like me, you enjoy your job. So, checking those emails when you have a free moment isn’t work, because it’s something you enjoy and is better than the alternative. Plus, it will make your Monday better.
I like to approach it in this way. I try to make it so I don’t HAVE to check my email/phone. Basically, I want to set the expectation that I won’t be. Then, if whatever I’m doing that weekend makes me want to check it because that’s better than whatever else was going on that weekend, then that’s fine too. That freedom of choice is what makes all the difference.
My 2 cents!