How to Stop Phubbing

DISCLAIMER: If you are reading this article while compromising on talking to your family…

Please stop reading.

When someone is talking uninteresting, do you take your phone out? More often than not, we all do this.

This behavior often gets us an immediate escape, but do we realize that it comes at the cost of compromising “thinking” completely, which is not good.

This is just one example of phubbing. We actually check our phone way too much these days. Accordingly to the Google team, an average user looks at his phone around 150 times in a day. Isn’t it worth asking ourselves – Why do we check our phone so much?! For the boss, loved ones, or just an escape reason?!!

While our answers might differ, there will be a consensus on the fact that this habit gets us compromise on something important. It could either be our family time, our personal time or just an hour full of talking with real people. Because, phubbing is an act of ignoring someone for the sake of your phone. So it is bound to take away the time which actually belonged to a person or some other activity.

Sounds complex?! It indeed is. Unfortunately, this complex emotion leads our life today, and is termed as Phubbing. When phubbing, we are actually trying to do two things together, compromising on one and the more we practice this, more anxiety it gets to our lives.

No wonder, the F&B (Food & Beverage) and Pharmaceutical Industry is earning well from a new line of products catering to an audience that needs to detox or de-stress. Like; Girnar Detox Tea J (no influencer marketing here !)

But the fun lies in avoiding the stress or anxiety and not sipping or smoking it away.

So, Use your Smartphone as a stepping phone to reach greater heights than becoming a victim to it.

Here are some easy ways to avoid Phubbing
(Even if you practice at least 3 of these for 3 days, you would start noticing the difference).

Easy Steps

1. Don’t take social media to bed

Phone and social media should not be allowed in your bedroom. At least 60 minutes before you go to bed, do not look at any screen. The blue screen not just disturbs your sleep but also get us distracted when we see others holidaying oversees.

2. Give your phone some privacy

No just bedroom, keep your phone away from your dining table and bathroom too. Else you would feel tempted. It’s like keeping a chocolate brownie next to you. Our devices need their own places. They need privacy too.

In fact, there should be a dedicated place in your home for this important piece called – PHONE, unless there is an anticipated emergency.

3. Turn the notifications off

There is a Neuro association with notifications, which is difficult to get over. So, the keeping the notifications off would solve a major chunk of phubbing. A notification makes sure you go back to the device again and again. Do you want your Phone to control your behavior?!

If not, start with turning off at least the vibration and sound for notifications. Or keep the number to a bare minimum. Else, you would be one of those people who say, one minute, lemme check this….without realizing that they do not have phone in their pocket.

Or at least mute the notifications on some not-so-important groups on whatsapp.

4. Delay your first click of the day by just 30 minutes

Wake up to a bright sun or a positive thought as against your Smartphone. Wake up to something more real. Enjoy the nature for a few minutes, acknowledge new-ness, finish your morning chores and then get hold of your Smartphone. Even if you delay your first interaction with the phone by 30 minutes, you will see the wonders.

5. Sip the morning tea without your phone

The benefits of indulging in a warm cuppa of tea will only enhance if you drink it without your phone. This is your ‘me’ time and should not be gate-crashed by the Smartphone.

6. Supper with family, not your phone

Conclude your last meal of the day with a heartful conversation with your family. Phone should not be a part of it. Eating with phone sometimes makes us say – bored of eating the same food every day. Appreciate the season’s veggies and the love with which they are being cooked, instead of just gulping it down with your whatsapp’ on.

7. When crowded, don’t fall for an instant trigger

We go online because there is an internal trigger of wanting to feel important. Next time you want to check your phone, ask yourself, what the trigger is while you are crowded by people and just postpone it.

8. Read the morning news in newsPAPER, not ONLINE

Retain the habit of waiting for that opportunity to grab the newspaper first. An feel the richness in reading and this richness will lead your day positively. Try and see if it helps you gather your thoughts in a more organized manner throughout the day.

9. Don’t fall for the last seen online syndrome

Undo the habit of checking others’ last seen on whatsapp before it becomes an OCD and takes away your focus and self-confidence.

10. Don’t get habituated to check office emails

Some of us are habituated to check and respond first to the emails and then to the person sitting in front of us or around us. Getting work home every day is quite unhealthy and takes away the much-needed unwinding that you need to do at home. So don’t get used to those 9 p.m. emails unless it is a news piece to be published the next morning or would be affecting the company’s bottomline drastically.

11. Avoid Peer Pressure

Don’t fall for peer pressure. Just because your co-attendees of the meeting or co-passengers in the flight are doing it, you should also browse through something. Not worth.

It is as important to tune out of the digital and social media world, as it is important to tune in at the right time. Because if we continue to ignore the things around us, we will soon land in a situation where we will have to wear something called as “Social Media Guard” or an “Anti-Phubbing Guard”.

Do not develop the hormone of pleasure which comes from the Phone. Because it goes away quickly, forcing you to go back to the phone again. Instead, gift your loved ones your time by putting down your Smartphone at the right time.

LET’S LEARN TO TUNE OUT !!

– written by
Ruchi Adlakha
http://ruchiadlakha.com/how-to-stop-phubbing/

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