It has been shown that the amount of time we waste with our pocket-pets isn’t the only factor impairing our productivity. Every lapse in attention during the day can cause a deficit in our cognitive abilities. Every time we diverge our attention to a different task, our performance on the original task is impaired. For smart-phone users wanting a productive day, this is extremely problematic!
Luckily, with practice we can reduce the constant urge to reach for our phones and uphold a strong focus on our work. Inhibiting distractions is vital for maintaining good focus and mindfulness meditation is a key way to practice this. Mindfulness meditation teaches us to become aware of distractions that arise during our day and to simply let them pass without acting on them. It has been shown that a short 10-minute mindfulness session a day over a one-month period can strongly strengthen daily focus. Considering the amount of time we waste with our phones, such a short session shouldn’t hurt the average-users daily schedule!
See below some useful resources to help anyone interested in starting a meditation practice and are curious to know more:
http://www.10percenthappier.com/mindfulness-meditation-the-basics/
https://www.mindfulinmay.org/
https://www.mindful.org/meditate-at-your-desk/
https://samharris.org/podcasts/why-meditate/