This week’s Balance Your Life tip focuses on spending less time on your cell phone or tablet.

Now, I’m not talking about completely dropping these devices (the thought of that mildly panicked me… I’ll be honest) but there’s no question that a large percentage of us spend more time on our mobile devices than we should. In fact, a 2017 industry study (including results from comScore, Nielsen, SmartInsights, eMarketer, MediaKix, Pew Research Center, and others) found that adults 18+ spend an average of over FOUR HOURS per day!

The study did note that desktop and laptop computer use has dropped, with mobile accounting for 65% of total digital media consumption. The problem, of course, is that mobile devices are so much more convenient and readily available that it’s easy to fall in the habit of checking them too often. How many of you have grabbed your phone to check a notification, then check another… and another… until the next thing you know, it’s ½ hour later and you have no idea where your time went?

I am without question one of these people. When I did some research into this topic, I came across a 30 day “Break up with your Phone” challenge that I am now taking part in. I am also far enough into the challenge to realize that I am one of the adults who usually spends more than 4 hours a day on my phone… and there are so many more productive things I would like to be doing! You can read about the trend and the challenge here. 

Be sure to keep an eye out on “Appy Friday” this Friday for apps you can use to let you know how much time you’re spending on your mobile devices and what you spend your time on.

This Balance Your Life tip is brought to you by Belmont Health & Wealth. Contact us today for information on group savings, group employee benefits, and even wellness strategies!

 

Image by Jan Vašek from Pixabay