Last week my wife and I went to breakfast with our kids, Ajay, 6, and Adelynn, 4. While we were outside waiting for a table, I had created a game with the kids of hopping from square to square on the sidewalk. After about fifteen minutes of the kids laughing and competitively one-upping each other with their “cool moves”, a lady dining on the patio, said: “Excuse me sir, I just want to say thank you for taking time to play with your kids and not be on your phone, it’s refreshing and truly a joy to watch.” A bit taken aback, I said “thank you” not really thinking what I was doing was all that special. I then looked over at all of the other patrons waiting for their tables and their heads were all buried in their phones.

My experience at the restaurant caused me to think about how I use my phone and if there were areas that I might be needing to pick my head up and put the phone down. I’m just as guilty as those patrons many times with my phone: Waiting in line at the grocery store or for an appointment, sitting at a stop light (yikes!), or during a meal (sometimes with other people), have all been situations where I have pulled out my phone for no other reason than the need to do something, or the compulsive nature of feeling like I was going to miss whatever the ding or vibration was alerting me to.

The average adult in the US spends 4 hours and 16 minutes per day on their phone, which equates to almost 65 days each year. But it gets worse, on average we check our phones 58 times per day and 70% of those checks are less than 2 minutes. So, we aren’t even being productive most of the time, we are simply checking to see who liked our last post on social media, scrolling through one or two new emails, or checking to see what notification popped up. All of this leads to reduced efficiency, less creativity and diminished brainpower. In a study done at the University of Texas, they found that the simple presence of your phone in sight, significantly reduces available cognitive capacity and impairs cognitive functioning.

My message today is not a push to throw your smart phone away. The accessibility, convenience and efficiency they bring to our lives cannot by denied. My suggestion is to be mindful of just how much time you spend on your phone and to question if it’s really necessary. I encourage you to make one goal related to your phone use this week. Maybe you commit to waking up in the morning and waiting at least an hour before you first check your phone for the day. Maybe you turn off all notifications (including text and email). Maybe you leave your phone in the car for an hour when you arrive home after work. Whatever you decide, make it something that is meaningful to you. Something that will enhance your ability to be present and mindful of your surroundings. Something that will allow you to connect with those around you on a deeper level.