How would you describe your relationship with your phone? Be honest now… no strings attached perhaps, or madly in love? Well, our dynamo co-founder Jodi unashamedly put herself in the second category. That was until she got the help she didn’t know she needed!

I love my phone. Yes, I am addicted to it and, yes, I feel a rush of excitement when I receive a message or notification. When it does not vibrate for at least 20 minutes, I find myself taking a sneaky look just to make sure everything is okay. Sound familiar?

To give you an idea, here is what a minute can look like on my phone:

Peta recently added to their stories
Sarah started a live video. Watch it before it ends!
3 new emails received
Jodi, we thought you might like to check out this new article
Message from a friend

By contrast, my husband can’t stand notifications. Actually, he dislikes phones and social media full stop. He dislikes the sounds the phone makes, he dislikes that it distracts me, and he dislikes that it often interrupts our nights together.

And, so you can imagine his excitement when Kate introduced me to a new concept… turn off my notifications!

At first, the thought sounded impossible. “Like, seriously? What do you mean, Kate?” I declared. “Turn off all my notifications? How the heck will I know when someone sends me a message, or an email, or likes an Insta story?”

And there it was. That was the aha moment when it became clear to me that my phone had become an extension of myself.

So, after a long conversation, Kate convinced me to give turning off notifications a go. Without giving a moment to reconsider, Kate grabbed my phone and started tapping away. She turned off every notification…Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, F45, Google, Mail, Slack, Trello and more. Everything EXCEPT my phone messages. 

And that was that! In the space of one minute, Kate had turned off everything and I had no way of knowing when new communications hit my phone.

Fast forward two weeks and not only had I not relapsed, but I had never felt better. I honestly can’t believe I hadn’t done it sooner, and I feel ashamed that I was letting my phone take control of my life. 

I no longer know when emails hit my inbox, which means I am now more efficient and only check my phone inbox a few times a day. I no longer know immediately when someone likes my social media posts, which has helped me shift my mindset and attention for the better.

A Deloitte study from 2018 found that consumers look at their phones 52 times a day on average and growing. Do yourself a favour and go into your settings and check your screen time. Have a look at your time spent across the different channels and you’re probably in for a shock.

It’s surprising how much more free time you can inject back into your day when you’re not constantly checking your phone; how much clearer your head is; how much you stop worrying about everyone else and focus more on yourself and the things you love.

Thanks Kate!

Written by Jodi Geddes, Co-founder of Circle In.