An idea that can help you save time, and maybe alleviate some anxiety

Image source: Unsplash

With a crisis like Covid-19 — people dying, jobs being lost, a diminishing economy, and a high level of uncertainty; anxiety and fear are bound to take their place, leaving us in a bad state. One can agree that our phones are the go-to place when we have negative emotions, but the irony is that our phones might worsen the situation — impacting our productivity and stealing our time. Working from home, I found a trick that helps me stay away from my phone to focus on the important stuff.

In these times we can be vulnerable to anxiety, accompanied by uncertainty. I can assume that our phones happen to be the go-to place when we have these feelings/emotions. We want to know what’s going on; are things getting better, is it getting worse? I found myself in this situation where I spent more time on my phone than I usually should. But the irony is that our phones steal our time, and could heighten anxiety which impacts our mental health and productivity.

Knowing I was spending more time on my phone than I should, I decided to keep my phone away during working hours, somewhere in my apartment where I could not see it. But each time, I found myself reaching for my phone where I kept it because it was in my apartment.

Yesterday, I had an idea. To lock my phone away in the mailbox. It worked! My mailbox is downstairs which makes it difficult to reach. Since yesterday, I’ve had more calm, and I’ve spent more time on the important stuff.

I’m sharing this because I can’t assume I’m alone. You might want to try locking your phone away in your mailbox, or some other place that’s difficult to reach if you feel the same way.

I hope this helps, cheers.