1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about becoming more aware of how you 4 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: are using your phone. Before you pick it up, ask 5 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: yourself what for, why now? And what else? These questions 6 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: come from journalist Katherine Price, and I learned about them 7 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: from a New York Times interview with Laurie Santos, who 8 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,599 Speaker 1: is a Yale psychology professor and the host of the 9 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: podcast The Happiness Lab. Santos recommended using prices questions to 10 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: become more mindful about your smartphone usage. Here's how they work. 11 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: The first question, what for is about why you are 12 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: picking up your phone. Are you using the phone to 13 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: find out what the amperatures so you can grab the 14 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: right weight jacket, or because you want to see how 15 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: people responded to an Instagram store you posted half an 16 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,639 Speaker 1: hour ago. Or is it to check your email because 17 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: you worry there might be a message from your boss, 18 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: even if it's after hours. Pay attention to the practical 19 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: or emotional needs that are prompting your phone usage. Then 20 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 1: ask yourself why now? Why is this the moment you 21 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: chose to pick up your phone? Because you were feeling 22 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: self conscious, sitting at a table alone while you waited 23 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,680 Speaker 1: for your friend, because you were bored, because you were 24 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: avoiding starting a difficult work project, or because you genuinely 25 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 1: needed the information right then, notice the emotional and contextual 26 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: factors that influence your urge to check your phone. When 27 00:01:53,400 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 1: you do, finally, ask yourself what else? As Santos puts it, 28 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: notice the opportunity cost of engaging with your phone. If 29 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: you weren't on your phone, what else would you be 30 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: doing instead? Getting your work done, playing with your kids, 31 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:17,839 Speaker 1: people watching, reading a book, staring at the wall. It's 32 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: easy to tell yourself that you are doing nothing when 33 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: you picked up your phone, but you probably would have 34 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: done something if your phone hadn't been an option. Even 35 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: if that's something is staring at the wall. People did 36 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,359 Speaker 1: something before two thousand six when they were bored, whatever 37 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: that happened to be. So, acknowledge what you are giving 38 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: up doing to spend time on your phone. You can 39 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: use the fitting acronym www to remember the three questions 40 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 1: what fur, why? Now? What else? Our phones are powerful tools. 41 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,799 Speaker 1: They can do wonderful things like summon a car or dinner, 42 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: and tell us how to get to that place I've 43 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:04,079 Speaker 1: never driven before. They can also eat hours a day 44 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,359 Speaker 1: if we are not careful and keep us from wrestling 45 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:11,959 Speaker 1: with difficult issues. When we understand how we are using 46 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:14,960 Speaker 1: our phones, we can make sure they are tools that 47 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 1: are serving us and that we are not beholden to 48 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: them asking what for, why now? And what else can 49 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: make that happen in the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks 50 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: for listening, and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 51 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 52 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 53 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pop 54 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: that's B the number four, then breakfast p o D. 55 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 56 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: podcast at iHeartMedia dot com. That before Breakfast is spelled 57 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look 58 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 59 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, 60 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 61 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.