Checking your mobile notifications makes you less productive, and if you switch them off for just a day, your life – and bad habits can change.
Even when we are supposed to be doing something important like our jobs, social media and our mobiles are so prominent in our life that we often stop what we’re doing to check our Instagram feed.
However, a new study has revealed a relatively short break from your mobile phone is all you need to change your bad habits for up to two years.
A new study conducted by Martin Pielot of Spanish telecommunications firm Telefónica and Luz Rello of US Carnegie Mellon University tested out how beneficial just one day without checking mobile phone notifications can be.
The results were amazing.
The “Do Not Disturb Challenge” required its 30 participants to switch off all mobile notifications for a whole day.
Participant’s feelings during the day varied, with many people reporting feeling less stressed and less anxious being free from their mobile phone.
Others on the other hand, had the opposite reaction.
The lack of contact with their friends and work colleagues due to no mobile use actually increased their stress and anxiety. Interestingly, the anxiety was largely due to missing out on plans with friends.
In other words, the participants suffered some serious cases of FOMO.
Whether the participants felt anxious or free, after just one day, a whopping two-thirds said they would change how they managed their mobile notifications.
What’s more impressive?
Two years later, more than half have actually stuck to their goal. This suggests that just one day without mobile phone notifications can be enough to change the habit of constantly checking your mobile in the long term.
The full results will be presented at a conference on human-computer interaction next month in Austria, but there is still a lot to take away from this mobile phone study.
So how can you start to make little steps towards increasing your productivity?
By putting some hurdles between you and your social media.
Constantly checking what plans your squad is making that day?
Go into your mobile phone settings and turn off your Facebook notifications.
Dedicate one day to turning off these notifications, and you could change those bad habits.
