4 ways to reduce the time you spend with the smartphone

10 years ago, none of us was connected to the Internet 24 hours a day. Since the release of the iPhone in 2007, the world has been experiencing a change in speed - one in which it is normal to be constantly on our devices.

Here are some figures that will make the idea clearer: 81% of people have their phones all day, nearly two-thirds of us check their smartphones up to 5 minutes after getting up; the average American checks his phone 46 times a day.

All this is transformed into the workplace: 98% of managers use their phones at night and on weekends; 57% of people browse the business mail at family gatherings and in the company of their children.

You should know that when designing devices, technology companies and social media companies use the latest research on human behavior, persuasion, biochemistry, habits, etc.

One study is clear: permanent internet interaction is detrimental to health. It shows that checking out emails out of working hours leads to emotional overwork, burnout, stress, and psychological, gastronomic and heart problems.

There is a simple drug. Spend more time away from the screens. A Harvard University study shows that people who do not use their phones in the evening and at the weekend are characterized by a lower level of stress, more work satisfaction. They do not reduce their productivity.

4 ways to restrict device usage:

-. Understand how things are.

Download the Rescue Time app for your computer or Moment for your phone to see how long you spend with it in your hand.

-. 30 minutes before 7:30 in the morning

Remove the phone from the bedroom. When you wake up, do not go first. Instead, pick up a notebook or a piece of paper. Plan the priorities for the day. As long as you have spent 30 minutes that you have devoted to essential things such as planning, for example, you can look at your phone.

-. Progress, not productivity

Answering emails makes you feel productive, but it may not even drive you to the desired achievements. Working on priorities - this is the most important thing in the morning. Do not look at the phone until you check it.

-. The phone should stay away from the table

When there are other people around you, opt out of the phone. If someone is ringing, ask politely to step aside.

Disable phones at family gatherings. Research shows that these devices on the table distract people - whether it's your phone or someone else's.