Oh the cell phone. Our beloved friend and infamous foe. It has created a pathway to easy connection while simultaneously creating a space where false connection thrives. Our phones are not evil in and of themselves and they can be a great tool – whether it makes reaching out to a family member around the world as easy as pushing a button or taking a spontaneous photo of your child’s first birthday.

We don’t claim to know all the ins and out of how we should or should not be using our phones, but as a creative company – we do use our phones everyday for capturing images, calling clients, responding to a quick email, updating social media and finding inspiration. With the amount that we use these little devices there are a few good practices we can put in place to lessen the negative effects of this technological beast while still keeping the positive.

1. If you don’t need it, put it away! Out of site, out of mind right? Okay – well maybe not totally, but putting your phone in a bag or drawer can make the habitual instagram check not *as* accessible. It is also a great way to communicate that you care about someone’s time. Having your phone out (whether you put the screen face down or not) has a weird way of telling someone that their time is not as valuable as you actually believe it be. 
2. Turn off email notifications (or other notifications – social, etc.). This one is huge for those of you who might like to work around the clock, but do not necessarily have to.  Email notifications can pull you from your present moment into a work moment that does not need to be tended to until the next day. Everyone has different responsibilities and standards when it comes to work – so this does not apply to every person, but if you’re able – give it a try! 
3. Have a no phone zone. This could be during dinner or before bed. So, do your brain a favor – ditch the phone and make your bedroom as sleep friendly as possible. Yourself and others will thank you! 
4. Go on a social media fast! Detoxing your day of social media is great for increasing brain space and your sanity but it also it reveals how much we go to our phones in a moment of awkward silence, standing in line, or just to kill time. Being made aware of how much screen time we engage with is a great push into a less digitalized day.
5. Finally – put time limits on your apps. This can be done through a setting in your phone. When the set time is up, your phone notifies you anytime you try to log into an app where the limit has been hit. Just make sure you don’t keep on hitting the “ignore limit” button…..

Now, we are preaching to ourselves here (currently giving this advice and my phone is 10 in away from me face down), BUT do as we say not as we do – right? In all seriousness, we have implemented each of these tips ourselves at some point in time, or heard about them from others. So, maybe they will work for you and maybe they won’t. But if your phone is slowly becoming one with your hand or you’re going cross eyed staring at dog memes, maybe implementing #1 and #3 could be of some help.

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words by hailey – brand strategist