The one app you have to download now

You’re addicted…to your phone. You know it, I know it and so does everyone around you. And you may justify it to yourself by saying well, so is everyone else. But deep down you don’t buy it.

I’ve developed a strong belief that with greater awareness, everything else becomes easier. Once we are more aware, our human instinct to take action kicks in. It happens at a subconscious level, without deliberately thinking about it.

It is time to become aware of our phone usage

Enter a new wave of apps designed to help us become aware of just how much we use our phones. I recently downloaded Moment on my iPhone (Android users, checkout Checky or BreakFree). The app runs in the background (using very little, if any, battery) and tracks how many minutes per day you spent on your phone and how many times you “picked up” your phone.

Here is my usage from the past week:

And yes, it is probably far lower than most but that’s thanks to a lot of hard work over the past few years learning to use technology responsibly versus getting used by technology. I’ve taken email off my phone (post), disconnect regularly while away (post) and use Slack versus being used by Slack (post). All of this keeps me focused.

Meditation: what I’ve learned along the journey

How often do you check your phone?

It’s more than you think. And that is getting in the way of your ability to concentrate on a singular activity for a long stretch of time. The endless notifications, emails, social media updates and messages are like mini pickpockets continually stealing attention from you.

Challenge: give the app a try, even for just 1 week, and let greater awareness spark your journey to a more peaceful, calm and focused day-to-day lifestyle.

And thanks to my friend Jay Vidyarthi for making me aware of this wonderful app to keep us all aware.

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Kunal Gupta is the Founder & CEO of Polar. He leads a talented team transforming the media publishing industry with technology. He is passionate about leadership and finding focus in a modern era. Connect with him on LinkedIn, Medium or Twitter.