With almost 64% of us spending over 24 hours per week online, and 60% openly admitting to an all out addiction it’s a wonder we’ve any time left to do anything else!

However, this problem doesn't just affect us as individuals, it's affecting your business too...

Leading the way in this movement is none other than Britain’s favourite entrepreneur, Richard Branson and his company Virgin. His ultimate goal of reducing “tech-slavery” was actioned back in 2016 with a weekly 2 hour switch off, the sole purpose being for staff to take part in creative exercises or conduct meetings whilst walking and outside of the board room. Great idea!

Probably the biggest issue we face is with the constant feed of news and the power of social media. So it's a relief to see some changes at the top, with Facebook recently launching new product features designed to reduce overall usage of their Apps such as push notifications and reminders to alert the user as to their time online to try and limit excessive usage.

If you're old enough, cast your mind back to the 90's when mobile phones were literally that; phones that were mobile. No email, no apps, no bother. So two routes here. You can either go and buy the cheapest, most basic handset in the shop to serve a similar purpose. Or take the upmarket approach with the likes of Light Phone which blends the luxury of a premium handset with a strict limitation of features.

Are you suffering from Nomophobia? Absurd as it sounds, many people fear being parted with their phone, convinced it's essential for life itself. We assure you, it's not, and once you overcome this fear we're confident you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. The daily overdose of messages, calls, notifications and so on has caused many of us to give in to the ‘always-on’ culture, and the illusion that one must be contactable at all the time is the cause of much anxiety, and is directly linked to excessive smartphone usage. Less phone, less stress. Simple.

We all love social media. Seems so harmless, yet so powerful. If the truth be known, many of us suffer from "compare and despair" syndrome. Beautified images circulate, all seeking "likes" and comments, but all driven by a common need for self-validation. The assurance of being successful / attractive can be strangely addictive as we seek to size ourselves up to others who all appear to have the perfect life. In reality, few live this perfect life. In fact feelings of inadequacy, frustration and even depression are the more likely result of social media.

Keep your phone next to your bed? You're probably reaching for it first thing in the morning, and your eyes are glued to it right before bed. Ever heard of something called melatonin? Melatonin is basically a sleep hormone which is released at bed time and allows your brain to relax and ultimately sleep. Without it, you'll struggle to nod off. What stops melatonin production? Blue light. Whats the most prominent light frequency emitted from a smartphone? Blue. Do the math...blue light at bed time is bad. Combine the waking influence of blue light with the despair of social media, and you're on the wrong side of bed before you've even gone to sleep. Lose the phone? More sleep.

To discuss further how effective employee engagement can help your business, maybe share your own experiences, or simply give us feedback on this post, please speak to Charlotte Franks in our Corporate Events Team. Charlotte has organised hundreds of employee engagement programmes, team building and training days, meetings, conferences and parties to help reduce sickness, control attrition and boost team performance.

Charlotte can be reached direct on 020 7299 1886, or by email at charlottef(at)chillisauce.com