I’m breaking up with my phone! – Day Four.

Screen Time: 2h 6min
Pickups: 56

DAY FOUR (THURSDAY) –> TAKE STOCK AND TAKE ACTION

By now, we’ve tracked our phone usage for a few days. Now that we’ve gathered this data, let’s analyze it.

1. Look at the results from the tracking app that you installed
   The tracking data may not be entirely accurate, but that’s okay — we’re just trying to get a general sense of how our guesses match up to reality.

   How many times per day did you pick up your phone, and how much time did you spend on it?  How does this compare to your guessses? What, if anything surprised you?

2.  Notice what you’ve noticed
   Next, think about what you’ve noticed over the past twenty-four hours about when and why you typically use your phone.
   • What did you notice about how – and how often – your phone interrupts you, or does something that grabs your attention?
   • How did these interruptions make you feel?
   • What did you notice about how you felt physically and emotionally before, during, and after you used your phone, and during times when you were separated from it? For example, did you feel relaxed, tense, excited, anxious, or some other emotion?
   • What did you pick up on about how your phone affects your levels of dopamine and cortisol?
   • What did you notice about the moments when you felt you were in a state of “flow” (that is, some combination of engaged, energized, joyful, effective, and purposeful)?
     • What were you doing?
     • Whom were you with?
     • Was your phone involved?
   • How did you feel when you saw other people on their phones?
   • Putting this all together, what patterns did you notice?
   • What, if anything, surprised you?

How to Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price

Here are my answers:

1. Look at the results from the tracking app that you installed
   How many times per day did you pick up your phone, and how much time did you spend on it?  How does this compare to your guesses? What, if anything surprised you?

   –> The amount of “pickups” that I do astounds me. WHAT A WASTE. It’s the fact that my phone is grabbing my attention and distracting me ~56 times a day.

2.  Notice what you’ve noticed
   Next, think about what you’ve noticed over the past twenty-four hours about when and why you typically use your phone.
   • What did you notice about how – and how often – your phone interrupts you, or does something that grabs your attention?
     –> I noticed that it is a huge time waster! I just set a timer to write this blog post for 40 min. I now have 15 minutes left and I did at least 3 “pick ups” because my computer notified me that someone txted me. (I have since turned it off but holy frustrating!!)
   • How did these interruptions make you feel?
     –> Extremely frustrated… no wonder why I feel like I’m on a constant ferris wheel and don’t get anything done!
   • What did you notice about how you felt physically and emotionally before, during, and after you used your phone, and during times when you were separated from it? For example, did you feel relaxed, tense, excited, anxious, or some other emotion?
     –> I am constantly feeling irritated. The only time that I do not feel irritated is when I decide that I’m going to sit down and respond to text messages and have a nice conversation with someone. Otherwise, I just feel like I am constantly being interrupted and am unable to get anything done. There is also this ginormous feeling at the back of my mind that I need to answer my phone and check if I have some sort of notification. I cannot wait to get rid of that feeling!!!
   • What did you pick up on about how your phone affects your levels of dopamine and cortisol?
     I am pretty sure that when I am picking up my phone it is because my cortisol is spiking and I’m searching for that dopamine “hit”. Most of the time I will not get that dopamine that I am looking for and my cortisol will spike even more. This is the constant ferris wheel that I am on. PLUS add to the ferris wheel that I need to return to what I was doing previously before I was interrupted. Talk about disruptive, especially for someone with ADHD.
   • What did you notice about the moments when you felt you were in a state of “flow” (that is, some combination of engaged, energized, joyful, effective, and purposeful)?
     • What were you doing?
       I was reading, on a call with a client or doing some creative thinking. Also, I was having in-person conversations with people that I really enjoy their company.
     • Whom were you with?
       I was with friends, family or on a date.
     • Was your phone involved?
       Nope! Only to show someone a picture or to looking up something on a menu.
   • How did you feel when you saw other people on their phones?
     I don’t think that it really bothers me. It is what people do nowadays… The only reason why it would bother me is if I am trying to have a conversation with someone and they are on their phone.
   • Putting this all together, what patterns did you notice?
     I notice that I don’t even really like having my phone beside me. I would like to change the story that I have been telling myself that “someone needs me, someone has messaged me and that I need to constantly check my phone for my business.” All are false. I also get this ginormous feeling like I am forgetting something. My phone ends up being my security blanket that will let me know if I have forgotten something. I think I would also like to squash the bug that is buzzing around my head saying that I have forgotten something.
     
     
   • What, if anything, surprised you?
     What surprised me… I think it was how often I feel like I need to pick up my phone. It’s just so silly and comical. I actually laugh to myself when I realize that I have picked my phone up out of habit. Time to break the habit!!

P.s. I totally forgot to put the elastic band on my phone so I have ACTUALLY just put it on now and I’m thinking it will do the trick to get rid of these unnecessary phone pick ups! I will also be hiding it away in a drawer (out of sight, out of mind.. I hope!)

I’m breaking up with my phone! – Day One.

I’m breaking up with my phone! – Day Two.

I’m breaking up with my phone! – Day Three.