Disconnecting Can Boost Productivity

It has become completely normal for individuals to sleep near or with their cell phone, regardless of how much time is spent on it during the day. Results from a survey in 2020 showed that 65.6% of Americans check their phone up to 160 times a day, equivalent to once every nine minutes, and 65.7% of Americans admit to sleeping with their cell phone at night. It is obvious that the obsession with being connected to the digital world continues to grow rapidly, whether it’s because of work or entertainment purposes. When it comes to staying connected to work, there is nothing wrong with wanting to know if a new email comes through, but it can become an issue when checking emails as soon as you wake up is part of your daily routine. 

Think about your morning routine. Do you immediately look at your phone for text messages, emails, and other notifications? Do you feel more productive by doing this, or are you already overwhelmed? Only 47% of people who begin their day by checking work emails as soon as they wake up say that they leave work feeling like they had a successful day. Whereas 68% of people who begin their day by reflecting and developing a plan of action say that they leave work feeling accomplished. If you want to boost your productivity, try starting and even ending your workday with a reflection. Follow these easy reflection exercises to stay productive and feel successful at the end of the day.

Morning Reflection

In the morning, before reaching for your cell phone, grab a piece of paper and pen instead. Spend some time thinking about what you want to accomplish for the day. You can ask yourself, “What are one or two things that I need to achieve today in order for this to be a successful day?” Write down a couple items that are considered “high-priority” and will leave you with a sense of fulfillment after accomplishing them. After this, it is important to consider that there might be some distractions that will keep you from accomplishing your goals for the day. You should then identify these distractions by asking yourself, “What could prevent me from achieving said goals, and how could I overcome potential roadblocks?” Being a proactive planner will help you to feel engaged and inspired at work.

End of Day Reflection 

At the end of the day, with a pen and piece of paper again, write down key lessons that you learned during the day. These lessons should be specific and detailed. Examples could include ways that you overcame a distraction, or how collaborating with a teammate improved the quality of the work being completed. Writing down lessons each day can help you reflect on what you learned each day and how to handle a situation in the future. 

These quick morning and evening reflections are meant to help increase productivity and even boost happiness. By writing down your goals on paper at the beginning of the day and reflecting on your actions at the end of the day, you are more inclined to remember and complete these goals. Try disconnecting from your phone for a few minutes each day to see if you can accomplish all that you need to do during the day and feel fulfilled afterwards. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gianna Cifalde is a full-time Social Media Coordinator at 898 Marketing. As a Social Media Coordinator, Gianna is responsible for managing social media channels, organizing campaigns, and creative development for 898 Marketing and our clients. Gianna is a Poland, Ohio native, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing from Youngstown State University. She is currently pursuing an MBA in Digital Marketing and Leadership from YSU.

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