1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:05,440 Speaker 1: So the other day in the morning, quite early, I 2 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:09,160 Speaker 1: am in a pilates class, and the lady on the 3 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: mat next to me kept checking her smart watch the 4 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: whole way through the class. I am watching other people 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: in the class because I'm still kind and new, so 6 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: there's a lot of moves I've done before, so I'm 7 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: still kind of looking around, but I'm on the edge. 8 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 2: I'm looking around. This lady kept checking her watch. 9 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: Now, at first I was like, oh, come on to 10 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:34,519 Speaker 1: you being distracting, but then I kind of felt a 11 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: bit sad for her because while this precious forty five 12 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 1: minutes that everybody else in the class is trying to 13 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,560 Speaker 1: carve out for themselves while they get back to their day, 14 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: this person is learning people who are not even in 15 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: the room control their behavior. And it got me thinking 16 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: a lot about notifications and watches and phones, and that's 17 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:03,160 Speaker 1: what i want to talk about today. Before I do that, though, 18 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:04,960 Speaker 1: I've got to keep the lights on. So we're going 19 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 1: to play some ads when we come back. We're going 20 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: to have a grown up chat about phones, watches and notifications. 21 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: I'll be right back after the break. Good day, Welcome 22 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 1: to the show. This is better than yesterday, helping you 23 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:22,320 Speaker 1: make today better than yesterday since twenty thirteen. 24 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 2: Thanks for being a part of it. My name's Olsha Ginsburg. 25 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: I'm a podcaster, I am a best selling author. I 26 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: am a momentarily annoying husband. I am a momentarily annoying dad. 27 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: I am a momentarily annoying stepdad. Sometimes not all at 28 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 1: the same time, but sometimes yes, all at the same time. 29 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 1: I am a rowing ergo machine hacker, helping a rowing 30 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: ergo become a ski ergo through the use of a 31 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: chin up bar and a poorly that I found. And 32 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: I'm here three times a week, and I'm glad you 33 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: made it to the show. Thank you so much for 34 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 1: being here. I was talking before about doing the polates 35 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: class the other day. So my eldest gee, she's twenty now. 36 00:01:58,400 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: She dance the whole life. 37 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 2: She goes to UNI. But her UNI job, she's a 38 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 2: pilarateis destruction. It's a very good one. 39 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: I'm quite picky about my fitness destructors and George is 40 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 1: very very good, and I like to take her classes 41 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: when I can. 42 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 2: Now. 43 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 1: The other morning, I was on a mat in the 44 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: corner because I don't want to be like in them go. 45 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 1: I'll put myself off to the side, and I try 46 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 1: not to be the you know, the afore mentioned annoying 47 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: stepdad too much. 48 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 2: And I tot myself off to the side, and the 49 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 2: lady next. 50 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: To me, who if you've ever been in one of 51 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: these classes, you're often your MAT's a real close, real close, right, 52 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 1: and so sometimes you. 53 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 2: Can't see anything but the person next to you. 54 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: And so the lady next to me is, I'm in 55 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: this move, I'm holding this post and we're kind of balancing, 56 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: and she starts doing something with her hands, and like, shit, 57 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:40,400 Speaker 1: am I supposed to be say? Oh, no, you're texting 58 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: on your phone. Your phone's gone and you're texting back 59 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: on your on your watch. 60 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 2: She's on a watch. Oh I shouldn't. I thought I 61 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 2: was doing this with my hands. Okay, clearly I'm not. 62 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: And this happened the whole way through the class, and 63 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: I felt, you know, look, are you closing an international deal? 64 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 2: Are you taking remote work to a next level? I 65 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 2: was a bit annoyed, but then I kind of I thought, 66 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 2: I wonder if this person realize that it's. 67 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: An option to not have that on during this time, 68 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: because it's kind of sold to us, and we get 69 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: kind of really hooked. And I was telling in a second, 70 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: I've been hooked by these devices, and I struggle to 71 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: stay not hooked to these devices. But whether it be 72 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,959 Speaker 1: your phone or now your watch, when that notification goes 73 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: off and essentially makes you perform an action that you 74 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: otherwise were not going to perform at that point in time, 75 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: who's really in charge of your life? It's not you, 76 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: is the short and correct answer. Also, you would never 77 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: let anybody interrupt you like that. You would never let 78 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: another person come into your day and interrupt you like 79 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: that perfect story. When we were making The Bachelor on 80 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: the Gold Coast, I want to go get a haircut 81 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: because I had a very short haircut at the time, 82 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: and as a man, if you're working with a fade and. 83 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 2: You're in television, you need to keep a thing called continuity. 84 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: And I couldn't get into the normal work that I 85 00:03:57,560 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: went to see, so I asked him who should I 86 00:03:59,000 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: go see? 87 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 2: So Gussie that guy and I went to this other 88 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 2: place and it was. 89 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: About eight chairs, like it was a pretty big joint, 90 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: so it was eight people there, and he had two 91 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: watches on. He had his big kind of Panaree or 92 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: you know, IWC or something very fancy. I had a 93 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: very fancy watch on his watch hands his left hand 94 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,280 Speaker 1: and on his right hand he had a smart watch. 95 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 1: Now he's holding the clippers, giving me my fade my haircut, 96 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: and then he's got like a half blade or a 97 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,160 Speaker 1: zero blade, So one wrong move and I've got a 98 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: completely different haircut. Right. And to be honest, he kind 99 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: of fucked up the fade because about every twenty something 100 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: seconds he kept checking his watch which was on his 101 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: right arm, which was holding the clippers. And this happened, 102 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 1: maybe I could once every twelve seconds, every fifteen seconds, 103 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: it kept happening. I said, what's going on, man, are 104 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: you like in a group chat or something that's going off? 105 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: And he says, oh, no, no, no, it's the booking 106 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: system on the desk literally right behind him at the reception. 107 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 2: It's the booking system. Every time a notification comes through. 108 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: For someone making a booking, canceling and looking fifteen minutes 109 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 1: till this person comes in, an hour till that person 110 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:10,840 Speaker 1: comes in, whatever, I get a notification. And I asked him, 111 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 1: I said, okay, then what would you say if that 112 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: kid over there the young man with the great haircut, 113 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 1: but the one that's sweeping up all the hairy everybody. 114 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 2: The sixteen year old over there, the apprentice. 115 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:22,040 Speaker 1: What would you say to him if he tapped you 116 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: on the shoulder every twelve to fifteen seconds and kept 117 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 1: tapping you on the shoulder until you looked at him 118 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:29,559 Speaker 1: and had your complete detentionent, and then told you something 119 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:32,280 Speaker 1: while you were trying to cut a client's hair. He said, 120 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: I'm tell him to piss off. I said, you stop 121 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: what you're doing every like twelve to fifteen seconds, check 122 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 1: your watch. And he kind of looked at me like 123 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: I could hear his eyes go as he blinked, trying 124 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,280 Speaker 1: to just kept going. I think I was lost on him, 125 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: like the idea that he could not be across everything 126 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:49,360 Speaker 1: all the time. 127 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 2: It was a bit lost to him. 128 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: And in the end, my haircut was great, but it's okay, great, 129 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: predit quickly and I had another haircut like two days later. 130 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:00,400 Speaker 2: Now I get this right. 131 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:02,160 Speaker 1: So from early on back when I had a nock here, 132 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 1: I would turn the ringer off as soon as I 133 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 1: had a phone that I could turn off the ringer. 134 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,039 Speaker 2: I turn off the ringer why because I knew straight away. 135 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: I started to anticipate the ring, or anticipate the vibration 136 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: of a text message coming through, to the point where 137 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: I would check it all the time, even if it 138 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:18,039 Speaker 1: hadn't been vibrating. 139 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 2: I would feel it vibrating in my pocket even when 140 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 2: it was. 141 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 1: Not vibrating, so I was kind of aware that, oh wow, 142 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:26,839 Speaker 1: I'm getting really hooked on this. I need to were 143 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:28,840 Speaker 1: not good, so I would not get a phone if 144 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 1: it would not go on silent. Once I got a BlackBerry, 145 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:35,160 Speaker 1: it had this little red light that even if the 146 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:36,840 Speaker 1: thing was on the desk, it had a red light 147 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 1: that would just flash every couple seconds to say, there's 148 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: something over here, way more important than what you're doing. Now, 149 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:46,160 Speaker 1: you'd better pick this thing up and read it. 150 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 2: I was like, just as fuck. 151 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 1: It took me a little while before I understood that 152 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: my day is getting fucked up by this thing, so 153 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: I'd turn off that little red light. When I got 154 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: my iPhone, it was the same, and so since I 155 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: started turning things off, my phone hasn't made a ring, 156 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: a ping, or a ding since about two thousand and three. 157 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 2: There's might big brother actually taught me about this. Just 158 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 2: turn your phones off. 159 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: Now. The only thing that happens only noise it makes 160 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: during the day is that if I get a call 161 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 1: from a person that I know, and then only within 162 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: certain hours it will vibrate. Other than that, everything is off. 163 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: It won't vibrate when there's a text or a notification. 164 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 1: It won't ring like, it won't ring through unless it's 165 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:31,080 Speaker 1: a certain group of people on this particular list. And 166 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: there's barely any red dots on my homescreen saying that 167 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: there's something happening here. I turn all them off as well, 168 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: no numbers on them, that's for sure. Now, I'm not 169 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: just making this up. There is a huge amount of 170 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: science around notifications and how much they're messing up our thinking, 171 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: our lives, our connection with other people. 172 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 2: The science is frankly staggering. 173 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: The fragmenting of our attention is actually causing us to 174 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: in many ways, rarely ever get to a deep thinking 175 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: state about anything. So just think about something, really think 176 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 1: about it. You kind of have to be in it 177 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 1: for a while, like sometimes hours, like if you're really 178 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: focusing on this thing for a couple hours, but you know, 179 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: even like anything from like twenty minutes to forty five 180 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: minutes to an hour thinking about how's this thing going 181 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:18,240 Speaker 1: to work? 182 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: How am I going to solve this problem. 183 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: Without any distractions or anything. We rarely ever get to 184 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: do that about anything, and so problems just get huge. 185 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 1: We'd normally be able to solve them if we had 186 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 1: this deep focused time, but we don't. We're denying our 187 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: solves of it. Not only does it prevent us from 188 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: doing that really deep concentrated thinking, we're frankly we end 189 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 1: up making heaps of mistakes when we do do things 190 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: because we're not allowing our brains to do their proper job. 191 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 2: I looked at some studies on this. 192 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:48,679 Speaker 1: There's a Journal of Experimental Psychology, and it found that 193 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:55,079 Speaker 1: even brief interruptions from phone notifications cause errors. Its cause 194 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: us to make mistakes and also reduce our overall performance 195 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: because they disrupt that mental focus needed to complete a 196 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: task correctly. Now I'm not talking university study task. I'm 197 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: talking like emptying the dishwasher, putting things in the right place, 198 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 1: you know, not putting the salsa that you've already opened 199 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:13,719 Speaker 1: in the cupboard, you're putting it in the fridge. Like, 200 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: just making mistakes like that. Our ability to think those 201 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:19,360 Speaker 1: things through is messed up because our phone is pinging, 202 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,760 Speaker 1: or worse, we're expecting our phone to ping. We're looking 203 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: at it seeing if anybody's doing it. Now, when it 204 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:29,319 Speaker 1: comes to stress and anxiety, I don't have to tell 205 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: you it's not great. And the research backs it up 206 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,559 Speaker 1: USC Irvine, which is the univers southern California, but not 207 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: the one in downtown LA. It's over there anyway. It's 208 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: one of the uses. There was a study there that 209 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:45,200 Speaker 1: showed that interruptions from emails and messages can actually lead 210 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: to a higher heart rate and a perceived sense of stress. 211 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: And one of the interesting things about this is because 212 00:09:50,760 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 1: we're constantly being pulled away from the actual physical world 213 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: we're in with things that we rely on to down 214 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,839 Speaker 1: regulate ourselves. A breeze on our skin, the sunlight, the 215 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 1: blue sky, other people in the room, the smell of 216 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 1: your girlfriend or boyfriend, your kids giggles, nice food, a 217 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 1: nice walk, other people breathing. Look at those nice trees, 218 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:13,520 Speaker 1: those pings and things and things are sucking us into 219 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:17,440 Speaker 1: this digital world, and there's constant notifications of and they're 220 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,920 Speaker 1: always have urgency about them. They will have a call 221 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,079 Speaker 1: to action that can lead to feelings of being overloaded, 222 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: and they can absolutely reduce the quality of the in 223 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 1: person interaction. 224 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 2: Things of the last time you. 225 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 1: Spoke with someone in their eyes just went to their 226 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 1: phone and they started typing in the middle of a conversation. 227 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 2: All right, that happens. 228 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:36,719 Speaker 1: This is not to even mention the disturbed sleep, the 229 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: blue light from your screen that comes in at to you, 230 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: or the emails that come in at ten pm about 231 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:42,920 Speaker 1: the ugboots sale that you know you've got ninety minutes 232 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 1: to get in on the ugbootsale at ten pm. 233 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 2: Where the fuck do they? 234 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:50,839 Speaker 1: We've known for a long time that your phone is 235 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 1: basically a pokey in your pocket, and your smart watch 236 00:10:55,040 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 1: may be even worse. So what can you do about? Well, 237 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:04,199 Speaker 1: that's what I want to talk about, but I do 238 00:11:04,360 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: need to play some ads, so I'll be back after 239 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 1: the break. 240 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 2: Thanks for listening. 241 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: I don't know if I'm being an old man yelling 242 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: at a cloud, but a part of me is trying 243 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: as hard as I can to speak about something that's 244 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 1: very important, and that how much our mental well being, 245 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: our ability to connect with other human beings, have deep 246 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: relationships and do good work is fucked up. By how 247 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 1: much our phones or even our smart watches now dictate 248 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: our behavior and the choices we make through the day. 249 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 1: I had a smart watch I did, Don't get me wrong, 250 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 1: I had one of these things. It was given to 251 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 1: me as a present by some people I was doing 252 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:41,200 Speaker 1: some work for as a thank you gift. 253 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 2: I was like, oh, super cool. 254 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,079 Speaker 1: I charged with the ababy and I I put it 255 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: on after breakfast at nine o'clock in the morning or so. 256 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:49,079 Speaker 1: By lunchtime, I had put it in a drawer and 257 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 1: I never wore it again. Ever, I just couldn't deal 258 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: with what it was doing to my day. 259 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 2: Now. 260 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: I know that you may relate to the barbo who 261 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: was cutting my hair that I was talking about earlier. 262 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,599 Speaker 1: You might feel like you are missing out, that the 263 00:12:04,679 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: world is going on without you, and that you might 264 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: miss out understandably, you might miss out a really important 265 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:12,680 Speaker 1: work or news or something. If you structure your day properly, 266 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 1: you won't miss out. You won't miss that important email, 267 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 1: that message, that slack chat, that phone call, whatever it 268 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:21,559 Speaker 1: is that is important to your values and to the 269 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: way you want to live your life, and the things 270 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: that are important in service of your goals. You might 271 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: feel like you are missing out, but I promise you 272 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: you won't. Now, your phone actually has all kinds of 273 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:35,559 Speaker 1: settings to protect you from this stuff, but they do 274 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,920 Speaker 1: make it very hard to find an Apple. The kind 275 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: of phone I have, it's called screen time. 276 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 2: An Android, it's the. 277 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:47,559 Speaker 1: Delightfully titled digital wellbeing. Simply put, just get in there 278 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: and turn everything off. I mean ever, rething, no noise, 279 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: no vibrations, no nothing. No app is allowed to ping you. No, 280 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,439 Speaker 1: you do not need a weather app telling you that 281 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:03,080 Speaker 1: tomorrow will be cooler than fifteen degrees. No, that information 282 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:05,839 Speaker 1: is not important enough to interrupt a moment between you 283 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 1: and your lover, or your family or your kids. No, 284 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:12,839 Speaker 1: think of the sixteen year old intern at the barbershop 285 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:16,439 Speaker 1: with the broom jumping into your field of view, going, hey, 286 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:18,680 Speaker 1: I know you're trying to talk to your wife about something, 287 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:19,679 Speaker 1: but it'll be less than. 288 00:13:19,640 --> 00:13:21,200 Speaker 2: Fifteen degrees tomorrow, so you may want to think about 289 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:23,439 Speaker 2: the jumping and the fuck off, kid. I'm here in 290 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 2: a moment. 291 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:29,079 Speaker 1: No, so speaking of your lover, your wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, 292 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 1: and husband whatever. I have a list of about five people. 293 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: That's about how many peoples on my list. These are 294 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:37,839 Speaker 1: the people who I would stop everything I'm doing. I 295 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: would walk out of work and say, I have to go. 296 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:42,679 Speaker 1: I've just got a phone call. This person in the hospital. 297 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 1: They've been hurt. I need to live right now. If 298 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:47,439 Speaker 1: you think about the people in your life that you 299 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 1: would do that for, it's a pretty small list. For me, 300 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:52,719 Speaker 1: it's about five people in the city I live in. 301 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 1: Everybody else that's too far away. I can't do anything 302 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: about that right now, you know. I have to be 303 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 1: realistic about it. Who could I actually get to within 304 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: the space of an hour. These are the people that 305 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: my phone rings for, that's it. They are the only 306 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:07,199 Speaker 1: people in my phone will vibrate and ring for that's it. 307 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:10,079 Speaker 1: Everybody else they do not vibrate. My phone does not ring. 308 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,319 Speaker 1: It opens up and I can see it. This is 309 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 1: a person making a phone call, but it doesn't go, 310 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:15,559 Speaker 1: doesn't do that. 311 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 2: I just see it. And that's really, really, really important. 312 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: When it comes to your emails, unsubscribe from everything, I 313 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: mean absolutely everything. You do not need an email about 314 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 1: how much money you can save on a lounge chair 315 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: because it's on special and it's the place you brought 316 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,560 Speaker 1: a pop plant from five years ago. Because if that 317 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: email is drawing your attention away from your work, which 318 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: you're trying to get paid to do, or your family. 319 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: That is costing you more than just money, and certainly 320 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: more than the money you might save on this lounge chair. 321 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: There's a simple way. There's apps that do offer to 322 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: do it for you, but they kind of gather your 323 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 1: data in weird ways. So for me, I just have 324 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: a filter in my inbox and the keyword is unsubscribed, 325 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: so unsubscribers in that email spam. Recently, though, people have 326 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:04,360 Speaker 1: been putting email preferences or manage preferences, so I put 327 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: those two in there as well. 328 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 2: Off they go. 329 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: Now, if for some reason some super important email gets 330 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: accidentally sucked into that is no bigger because if it 331 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 1: is an important email, that person will probably reach out 332 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 1: and chase you up. 333 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 2: If not, you'll cope. 334 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:21,800 Speaker 1: You'll figure it out. Whatever preferences that you didn't manage, 335 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: whatever it is. Now, I'm that beautiful, I said, black cockato. 336 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: You're probably going to eat that. 337 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 2: That's fantastic. 338 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 1: Now you may be struggling with this, but I can't. 339 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: I have to know, you know, I might be missing 340 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: out on something I can't not know about. 341 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 2: Things. 342 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: I have to know all this stuff because we've kind 343 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: of become habituated to constantly being pinged and dinged and 344 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: having these big stimulating moments like my barber every twelve 345 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 1: to fifteen seconds. 346 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:47,680 Speaker 2: But picture what I was talking about before. 347 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,720 Speaker 1: Every time your phone buzzes or you're smart watch buzzers, 348 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 1: picture as the sixteen year old hairdressing apprentice with the broom, 349 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:59,840 Speaker 1: and their job is to stand there and make a noise, 350 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: a loud noise and vibrate, which would be weird, but 351 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: they probably do it until you look at them. And 352 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: then their job is to then tell you something worded 353 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: with a sense of urgency which compels you to act immediately, 354 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: and then we'll tell you again in a couple of minutes. 355 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 2: Would you let that person interrupt your meeting at work? 356 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 1: No, you would not your work time when you're trying 357 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: to write something or create something. No, when you're trying 358 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: to be with your family. No, when you're trying to train, 359 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: when you're trying to do a pool arty's class, when 360 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: you're trying to cut somebody's hair, when you're trying to 361 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: do the gardening, when you're trying to cook, when you no, 362 00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:41,000 Speaker 1: fuck no, you would say no, there's time, no, put 363 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: it on the list. No. If you really want to 364 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 1: get scared, and I have done this, check your screen time. 365 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 1: Look at how many times you pick up your phone. 366 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: It could be in the hundreds, Like it could be 367 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 1: up in like three hundred times a day that you 368 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: pick up your phone. That's a lot, but that's normal. 369 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: By the way, that is normal. It's around three hundred. 370 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: Now when you look at that number in Apple, you'll 371 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:05,320 Speaker 1: see the first app you opened after that. I think 372 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:08,640 Speaker 1: it's the same in Android. Look at how many times 373 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: you decided to pick up your phone versus how many 374 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:14,200 Speaker 1: times you picked it up because it made a noise 375 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 1: or something to make sure that your ticket up. 376 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 2: It's like a needy, annoying friend that will not be 377 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 2: quiet unless you play with it. 378 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,439 Speaker 1: And every time you do that, essentially you're letting other 379 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 1: people decide what it is that you pay attention to. 380 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: Your attention is one of the most valuable things you have. 381 00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: Your attention is what shapes your life. There was a 382 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: very clever person. You may have heard of them, Buddha. Yeah, 383 00:17:42,280 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 1: roughly translated, there is a Buddhist teaching that sounds along 384 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 1: the lines of the mind is everything what you think 385 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:54,880 Speaker 1: you become. So if you're thinking about a flash sale 386 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: on pool chemicals or a news alert about some person 387 00:17:57,600 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: who you don't know, worrying something you can't affward to 388 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: a party you'll never get invited to. If you're thinking 389 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 1: about either of those things rather than something it actually 390 00:18:04,400 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: makes you truly happy in this moment, something that isn't 391 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 1: you taking action in accordance with your values, then you're 392 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 1: not really choosing your life you have, are you but 393 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 1: thinking about things that other people want us to become. 394 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:25,479 Speaker 1: It's being chosen for us. And I don't know how 395 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 1: good that is. Wonderfully, though we can turn them off. 396 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:31,959 Speaker 1: I would encourage you to do it, and do it now, 397 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 1: and maybe take off your smart watch during your fitness 398 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:39,720 Speaker 1: class or put it on flight mode or something. Do 399 00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: it for a week and then email me and let 400 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 1: me know how it feels. There's a contact form on 401 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,120 Speaker 1: the website OSHA against Both dot Com. You can also 402 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: just hit reply to the mailing list. Both those things 403 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:52,399 Speaker 1: you can get on OSHA against Both dot Com. 404 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:53,200 Speaker 2: I put it in the show. 405 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 1: Notes, but let me know, let me not do it 406 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: for a week at first. You might go, Well, I 407 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 1: don't know what to do. I seem to have so 408 00:18:57,920 --> 00:18:58,399 Speaker 1: much time. 409 00:18:58,280 --> 00:18:58,720 Speaker 2: On my hands. 410 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 1: Well, maybe you want to do it. I don't go 411 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 1: for a walk or talk to the people in the 412 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 1: room or tidy that thing or whatever. It'll be fine. 413 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: At first, it'll feel really weird because it's not super stimulating, 414 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:15,399 Speaker 1: but it'll be fine. 415 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 2: Let me know. I'd love to know how you went. 416 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:19,840 Speaker 2: I'm gonna go. 417 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,680 Speaker 1: I'm going to go shopping for a fifth birthday present, 418 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:25,920 Speaker 1: which is always fun because the challenger, though, is like, 419 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 1: don't buy something that I want, like something that my 420 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:32,720 Speaker 1: son's friend wants that looks cool. 421 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:38,399 Speaker 2: It's always difficult. Have a great day and I might 422 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 2: see you at pilates class. Thanks for listening. 423 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 1: This episode is brought to you by Anima on audio post, 424 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 1: Mikey Ward on video post, Toe hied and made all 425 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 1: the music. 426 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:50,160 Speaker 2: My producer is Pre Steel. 427 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:53,800 Speaker 1: My executive function assistant is Monica Chapman for every episode ever. 428 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: To get on the mailing list to get in touch, 429 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,480 Speaker 1: just do it through the contact form and you can 430 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 1: sign up right now Sickensburg dot com