My Connection Gap
When I think of connection, I am initially and naturally drawn to this value for the part of connecting to others. But, what actually drew me even further to this value is that it also captures connecting to the moment, being mindful and present. In that sense, a particular area of my life I am trying to bring more connection to is my mindfulness and focus when exercising.
I’ll find myself picking up my phone to browse Instagram, research meals for the next week, respond to a couple of texts, etc. This habit is something I have been trying to limit and is particularly a struggle when I am at the gym and doing strength training. The habit of being on my phone is most prominent when I am between weight sets. Not having my phone with me is not an option I am going with, as I use it to listen to podcasts/music and use the FitBod app to track my workout.
The step I have taken is creating a new Focus setting on my iPhone. The focus setting helps to reduce distractions by limiting notifications and app behaviour. You can also customize your Home Screen so that certain apps are not included; for me, this includes such apps as Instagram, Pinterest & Reddit. It isn’t perfect, I already don’t have very many notifications on my phone, but if I have to deliberately seek out an app, it forces me to make a deliberate choice in the moment.
What I find especially helpful is that because I chose the Fitness focus to customize, the phone knows to activate that focus mode as soon as I turn on the Fitness app to track my workout. If you are building a Focus setting from scratch, you can choose “Smart Activation,” which will automatically turn on your Focus settings based on time, location, or the apps that are being opened. This feature is incredibly helpful for building a new habit.
This choice will help me be more focused, deliberate, and effective when working out. It’s easy to convince myself that I will “check on one little thing,” but inevitably, more time passes than I expect every time. My goal is to interrupt the automaticity of picking up my phone and going straight to the apps that are disruptive to experiences to which I want to be connected.