“I’m taking one hour for myself please call later,” instead of “I’ll just check something for a second, reply, read…
Author: Logout.org
You’ve probably noticed at some point that you picked up your phone without a clear reason. While unlocking it, you realized the action you were taking was unplanned and aimless, yet you still didn’t put the phone down. Why? At least one notification will probably be somewhat interesting, every app will have something new — we simply can’t stop. The moment we reach for the phone, our attention is already somewhere else.
This isn’t rare. A study by Andrews et al. (2015) shows that for some users, 55% of all phone checks last less than 30 seconds. We call these micro-checks. It’s a quick, often unconscious look at the screen without any real reason or purpose — refreshing email with no reason, “just quickly checking if there’s anything new on Instagram,” “just checking the market…”
Micro-checks often happen as a response to unpleasant feelings — boredom, waiting, frustration, feeling of failure. Not because they really calm us down — to do that, we would first have to face those feelings. We do it because we can instantly dive our attention far away from that unpleasant moment: we refresh the screen like a slot machine, hoping for something intangible that will change how we feel.
Even such a small action can have real consequences for us. If, like the person in the study, we check the phone many times a day*, we are less present, less effective at work, and enjoy it less.
*You can check the number of your daily unlocks in your phone’s settings.
“I work all day, check emails, answer calls, and still get nothing done.”
Micro-checks interrupt so-called “deep focus” (deep flow) — a state in which we are completely immersed in a task, creative, precise, and time simply doesn’t exist for us.
The consequences can go beyond low focus and poor work results. A 2024 study by Tng and Yang with 364 students showed that it is not necessarily the total time spent on the phone that affects mental health — in this sample it was the frequency of checking. A higher number of checks was linked to higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress — regardless of gender, age, or personality traits.
Based on a study by Mark et al. (2008), after every distraction we need an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to return to the same level of concentration as before. If we check the phone three times an hour (which is often true), we never actually enter deep focus at all.
The nature of a smartphone is that it creates habits of automatic checking, affects our focus and mood, and we never get tired of it. When we become aware of the consequences of smartphone use on our attention and well-being, we might want to immediately switch back to a landline. But that would mean giving up all the benefits that smartphones bring.
How can I change something?
To use a smartphone without unwanted consequences, we must learn to put it down. This will not happen by itself or by willpower alone. An initiative for a phone break and our helper can be Humanodoro, which we have tested ourselves. Humanodoro is a minimalist pad and app with a clear purpose: to encourage you to consciously put your phone down. The developers describe it as:
“A clear visual reminder to put your phone down. When you place it on the pad and set the timer, you commit to an uninterrupted session. The app tracks the time the phone remains unused and helps you gradually improve your ability to focus.”
By tracking the time your phone rests on the pad, you collect points for every minute. You can invite friends and family to join and compete with them. Most of all, you compete with yourself — can I live a few minutes longer today without unlocking or moving my phone?
When we tried Humanodoro and committed to a session, we noticed that we found it much easier to resist the temptation to “just quickly check if a tomato is really a fruit” or to see “if someone has already replied.” Those things can wait.
Humanodoro gave us the chance to be present again. To stop acting automatically and once again consciously decide when we will use the phone — and when we won’t.
With regular use of Humanodoro, we noticed greater focus, more creativity, and less stress. The phone turned from a source of distraction back into a tool.
If you want more presence, more focus, and more control over your time, start with something simple — start with putting your phone down. Humanodoro can be a valuable ally in that. It doesn’t nag, it doesn’t persuade — it simply helps you choose again where you will direct your attention.