Take a holiday from your phone

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Did you know that studies have shown that leaving your phone off of the table when you are engaged in conversation with someone dramatically increases your chances of having a meaningful and productive exchange? Imagine what leaving your phone at the door would do when you’re at a holiday gathering or family dinner. Just the other day I was talking with someone who said she really wished her mother had heard something she was talking about when they were at dinner. “Where was your mother?” I asked, assuming she had to step away for a minute, “Oh, she was at the table, but she was reading her email and I didn’t want to interrupt her,” she replied. We often don’t even know what we are missing when we choose to check our phones instead of leaving them in a spot where they won’t interrupt the important business of good and meaningful conversation. Don’t let quality time with loved ones be spent looking into your phone, instead enjoy each other’s company. Take a holiday from your phone for just one gathering in the next week and let me know what kind of difference it makes.