How to avoid time confetti by defusing your weapon of mass distraction (part 3)

We use our phones from the moment we wake up to the moment we fall asleep.

That’s a major reason why our leisure time probably has never felt less relaxing – although we have more of it than 50 years ago.

As I have explained in my earlier posts, this is mainly due to time confetti, a term popularized by Harvard professor Ashley Whillans. In addition to minimizing work-related and leisure-related stressors and setting up your home screen for maximum efficacy and minimum distraction, having boundaries for when and when not to use your smartphone provides a remedy.

The Center for Humane Technology (CHT), whose co-founders created the eye-opening Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, came up with several helpful tips for those boundaries. Here are the ones that give you the most bang for the buck:

First, have device-free meals. If that seems too difficult, turn it into a game: When eating at home, agree on having the first person to check their smartphone do the dishes. When eating out, consent that this person pays the bill. That game might sound over-the-top, but if you find yourself and the people close to you distracted during meals, try it out and see what happens.

Second, have device-free bedrooms. Charge your smartphone in another room overnight, and get a separate alarm clock to wake you up in the morning. By avoiding being sucked into your phone first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening, you reduce stress from time confetti and improve your sleep.

Pro tip: Have one device-free day per week. Fully disconnect by switching your phone off, for example on Sundays. According to the CHT, this offers a powerful way to reconnect with yourself and the people you care most about. They recommend “letting your friends and family know you'll be offline, or better yet, inviting them to join you”.

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Until next week,Christian