Want Better Focus and Conversations? Move Your Phone Away
Time to talk about a conflicted relationship we all experience to varying degrees. A daily “I love you… me neither” kind of thing—with a 200-gram object. The dynamics of this relationship are complex and ambiguous. But one thing’s crystal clear: it’s physically almost always with us.
Understand
12 nov. 2025
5 min
The smartphone has become an extension of ourselves. Which made me want to dig into the topic of distance this week. To have a healthy relationship with our pocket companion, we need to sprinkle in some separation—otherwise, we risk an overdose.
Sometimes the phone needs to be out of sight, to be out of mind (and out of brain).
Performance And Proximity
In 2017, a team of scientists at the University of Texas ran an experiment on 548 students.
They formed three groups. Each group was asked to set their phones to silent mode, and place them in one of three locations:
Group 1: on the desk, visible, face down
Group 2: in a bag or pocket
Group 3: in another room
Then, all participants were asked to complete tasks measuring their “available cognitive capacity,” such as working memory and fluid intelligence. Working memory is what allows us to manipulate information and retrieve it from long-term memory—it helps us hold and work with data at the same time.
Fluid intelligence refers to our ability to think logically and solve new problems, independent of acquired knowledge.
Here’s what they found.
If the chart isn’t clear, the takeaway is: the farther the phone, the better the performance.
More precisely: on the desk < in the pocket < in another room.
The lead researcher, Adrian F. Ward, concluded:
“We observed a linear trend suggesting that the more visible and accessible the smartphone, the more cognitive capacity participants lost. Their conscious mind isn’t thinking about the phone, but the process of forcing oneself not to think about it drains cognitive resources.”
In other words, having your phone within reach forces your brain to use energy just to not reach for it. Even when it’s face down and in airplane mode.
Cognitive drain by proximity
So it’s not just notifications and alerts that disrupt our focus. The mere presence of a smartphone rattles the brain—often without us realizing it. By physically moving it away, our subconscious is freed from an invisible weight, allowing us to fully engage with the task at hand—and boost our productivity.
Social 2.0: Pesence and Distraction
You get it: a visible phone acts like a vortex that sucks up part of our attention. A chunk of our mental resources is used to resist temptation. That’s a problem for focus at work, but also for our social lives. Face-to-face interactions get disrupted just by a smartphone being in view.
The perfect example? When it’s on the table. It inevitably prevents you from being 100% present with others. And yet, when I glance around at restaurants or bars, most tables have extra guests—ones who never pick up the check.
According to a 2015 study, 89% of people pulled out their phones during their last social interaction.
An eerily spot-on episode of How I Met Your Mother comes to mind.
Just having a phone present leads the brain to self-distract more easily. Internal interruptions become more frequent.
Sherry Turkle summed it up in her book Alone Together:
“The smartphone undermines our ability to fully engage in the moment.”
Take the example of meals 🍽. 92% of French people say screens disrupt their connection with others and harm the conviviality of shared meals.
And that’s exactly what happens: when the brain thinks an interruption is possible at any time, conversations stay shallow, and attention wanders more often. The screen blocks depth. It acts as a barrier to building true social bonds. It pulls us out of the here and now.
Everyone knows this, yet 53% of people still can’t manage to fully disconnect. Something’s off.
Or maybe, something’s under lock and key.
From March 11 to 17, 2024, the restaurant at Royat’s casino launched a great initiative. At the start of the meal, guests were invited to lock their phones in a little “jail” for the duration of dinner. If they accepted the challenge, they got a reward: 30% of their bill converted into casino tokens.
Aside from the marketing angle, the goal was clear: reconnect with the true spirit of shared meals.
These are the top 3 takeaways from people who tried it:
They paid more attention to what they were eating
They had deeper conversations
They felt better
My girlfriend and I have been ahead of the curve—we usually go out to eat without our phones. Ironically, when we get there, the menu is often only accessible via QR code, so we have to ask for a paper version. Even when you want to disconnect, tech gets in the way 😂
And if the phone stays visible during the meal, the table turns into Temptation Island—it’s tough to resist, no matter how strong your willpower is.
More broadly, moments without our phones nearby have become rare. Even in the bathroom, it tags along. We need to relearn the art of disconnected presence. Like in boxing, it’s all about mastering distance. Touch without being touched.
The smartphone has become an extension of ourselves. Which made me want to dig into the topic of distance this week. To have a healthy relationship with our pocket companion, we need to sprinkle in some separation—otherwise, we risk an overdose.
Sometimes the phone needs to be out of sight, to be out of mind (and out of brain).
Performance And Proximity
In 2017, a team of scientists at the University of Texas ran an experiment on 548 students.
They formed three groups. Each group was asked to set their phones to silent mode, and place them in one of three locations:
Group 1: on the desk, visible, face down
Group 2: in a bag or pocket
Group 3: in another room
Then, all participants were asked to complete tasks measuring their “available cognitive capacity,” such as working memory and fluid intelligence. Working memory is what allows us to manipulate information and retrieve it from long-term memory—it helps us hold and work with data at the same time.
Fluid intelligence refers to our ability to think logically and solve new problems, independent of acquired knowledge.
Here’s what they found.
If the chart isn’t clear, the takeaway is: the farther the phone, the better the performance.
More precisely: on the desk < in the pocket < in another room.
The lead researcher, Adrian F. Ward, concluded:
“We observed a linear trend suggesting that the more visible and accessible the smartphone, the more cognitive capacity participants lost. Their conscious mind isn’t thinking about the phone, but the process of forcing oneself not to think about it drains cognitive resources.”
In other words, having your phone within reach forces your brain to use energy just to not reach for it. Even when it’s face down and in airplane mode.
Cognitive drain by proximity
So it’s not just notifications and alerts that disrupt our focus. The mere presence of a smartphone rattles the brain—often without us realizing it. By physically moving it away, our subconscious is freed from an invisible weight, allowing us to fully engage with the task at hand—and boost our productivity.
Social 2.0: Pesence and Distraction
You get it: a visible phone acts like a vortex that sucks up part of our attention. A chunk of our mental resources is used to resist temptation. That’s a problem for focus at work, but also for our social lives. Face-to-face interactions get disrupted just by a smartphone being in view.
The perfect example? When it’s on the table. It inevitably prevents you from being 100% present with others. And yet, when I glance around at restaurants or bars, most tables have extra guests—ones who never pick up the check.
According to a 2015 study, 89% of people pulled out their phones during their last social interaction.
An eerily spot-on episode of How I Met Your Mother comes to mind.
Just having a phone present leads the brain to self-distract more easily. Internal interruptions become more frequent.
Sherry Turkle summed it up in her book Alone Together:
“The smartphone undermines our ability to fully engage in the moment.”
Take the example of meals 🍽. 92% of French people say screens disrupt their connection with others and harm the conviviality of shared meals.
And that’s exactly what happens: when the brain thinks an interruption is possible at any time, conversations stay shallow, and attention wanders more often. The screen blocks depth. It acts as a barrier to building true social bonds. It pulls us out of the here and now.
Everyone knows this, yet 53% of people still can’t manage to fully disconnect. Something’s off.
Or maybe, something’s under lock and key.
From March 11 to 17, 2024, the restaurant at Royat’s casino launched a great initiative. At the start of the meal, guests were invited to lock their phones in a little “jail” for the duration of dinner. If they accepted the challenge, they got a reward: 30% of their bill converted into casino tokens.
Aside from the marketing angle, the goal was clear: reconnect with the true spirit of shared meals.
These are the top 3 takeaways from people who tried it:
They paid more attention to what they were eating
They had deeper conversations
They felt better
My girlfriend and I have been ahead of the curve—we usually go out to eat without our phones. Ironically, when we get there, the menu is often only accessible via QR code, so we have to ask for a paper version. Even when you want to disconnect, tech gets in the way 😂
And if the phone stays visible during the meal, the table turns into Temptation Island—it’s tough to resist, no matter how strong your willpower is.
More broadly, moments without our phones nearby have become rare. Even in the bathroom, it tags along. We need to relearn the art of disconnected presence. Like in boxing, it’s all about mastering distance. Touch without being touched.
The smartphone has become an extension of ourselves. Which made me want to dig into the topic of distance this week. To have a healthy relationship with our pocket companion, we need to sprinkle in some separation—otherwise, we risk an overdose.
Sometimes the phone needs to be out of sight, to be out of mind (and out of brain).
Performance And Proximity
In 2017, a team of scientists at the University of Texas ran an experiment on 548 students.
They formed three groups. Each group was asked to set their phones to silent mode, and place them in one of three locations:
Group 1: on the desk, visible, face down
Group 2: in a bag or pocket
Group 3: in another room
Then, all participants were asked to complete tasks measuring their “available cognitive capacity,” such as working memory and fluid intelligence. Working memory is what allows us to manipulate information and retrieve it from long-term memory—it helps us hold and work with data at the same time.
Fluid intelligence refers to our ability to think logically and solve new problems, independent of acquired knowledge.
Here’s what they found.
If the chart isn’t clear, the takeaway is: the farther the phone, the better the performance.
More precisely: on the desk < in the pocket < in another room.
The lead researcher, Adrian F. Ward, concluded:
“We observed a linear trend suggesting that the more visible and accessible the smartphone, the more cognitive capacity participants lost. Their conscious mind isn’t thinking about the phone, but the process of forcing oneself not to think about it drains cognitive resources.”
In other words, having your phone within reach forces your brain to use energy just to not reach for it. Even when it’s face down and in airplane mode.
Cognitive drain by proximity
So it’s not just notifications and alerts that disrupt our focus. The mere presence of a smartphone rattles the brain—often without us realizing it. By physically moving it away, our subconscious is freed from an invisible weight, allowing us to fully engage with the task at hand—and boost our productivity.
Social 2.0: Pesence and Distraction
You get it: a visible phone acts like a vortex that sucks up part of our attention. A chunk of our mental resources is used to resist temptation. That’s a problem for focus at work, but also for our social lives. Face-to-face interactions get disrupted just by a smartphone being in view.
The perfect example? When it’s on the table. It inevitably prevents you from being 100% present with others. And yet, when I glance around at restaurants or bars, most tables have extra guests—ones who never pick up the check.
According to a 2015 study, 89% of people pulled out their phones during their last social interaction.
An eerily spot-on episode of How I Met Your Mother comes to mind.
Just having a phone present leads the brain to self-distract more easily. Internal interruptions become more frequent.
Sherry Turkle summed it up in her book Alone Together:
“The smartphone undermines our ability to fully engage in the moment.”
Take the example of meals 🍽. 92% of French people say screens disrupt their connection with others and harm the conviviality of shared meals.
And that’s exactly what happens: when the brain thinks an interruption is possible at any time, conversations stay shallow, and attention wanders more often. The screen blocks depth. It acts as a barrier to building true social bonds. It pulls us out of the here and now.
Everyone knows this, yet 53% of people still can’t manage to fully disconnect. Something’s off.
Or maybe, something’s under lock and key.
From March 11 to 17, 2024, the restaurant at Royat’s casino launched a great initiative. At the start of the meal, guests were invited to lock their phones in a little “jail” for the duration of dinner. If they accepted the challenge, they got a reward: 30% of their bill converted into casino tokens.
Aside from the marketing angle, the goal was clear: reconnect with the true spirit of shared meals.
These are the top 3 takeaways from people who tried it:
They paid more attention to what they were eating
They had deeper conversations
They felt better
My girlfriend and I have been ahead of the curve—we usually go out to eat without our phones. Ironically, when we get there, the menu is often only accessible via QR code, so we have to ask for a paper version. Even when you want to disconnect, tech gets in the way 😂
And if the phone stays visible during the meal, the table turns into Temptation Island—it’s tough to resist, no matter how strong your willpower is.
More broadly, moments without our phones nearby have become rare. Even in the bathroom, it tags along. We need to relearn the art of disconnected presence. Like in boxing, it’s all about mastering distance. Touch without being touched.
Votre téléphone, vos règles. Bloquez ce que vous voulez, quand vous voulez.
Pour 30 minutes
Tous les jours
Le week-end
Pendant les heures de travail
De 22h à 8h
Pour 7 jours
Tout le temps
Votre téléphone, vos règles. Bloquez ce que vous voulez, quand vous voulez.
Pour 30 minutes
Tous les jours
Le week-end
Pendant les heures de travail
De 22h à 8h
Pour 7 jours
Tout le temps
Votre téléphone, vos règles. Bloquez ce que vous voulez, quand vous voulez.
Pour 30 minutes
Tous les jours
Le week-end
Pendant les heures de travail
De 22h à 8h
Pour 7 jours
Tout le temps
Physical Distance & Self-control
The issue with our relationship to smartphones often isn’t choice—it’s impulse control. The brain’s vulnerabilities are expertly exploited by attention dealers, messing with our reward systems and forming sticky habits.
It’s not just about willpower anymore—these are automatic behaviors. We’re subjected to them, rather than choosing them. As Laura Branigan sang in her hit song “You take my self-control.”, back in 1984, she probably wasn’t talking about her phone. But her words hit hard 40 years later.
Smartphones chip away at our self-control. They condition us to give in to distractions, to interrupt ourselves. Creating distance is a perfect counter move.
Take candy, for example. Who doesn’t sneak a few pieces when there’s an open bag nearby? But if that sugar craving hits and there’s nothing in the house, your only option is going to the store. That extra effort is a barrier. You’ll only go if the craving is truly overpowering.
My girlfriend recently introduced me to these popular Swedish candies. Whenever they’re within reach at home—game over. I know I’ll finish the whole bag. Humans are naturally wired to take the path of least resistance.
Knowing that, we can hack our instincts. By reducing a reward’s accessibility, we force ourselves out of our comfort zone to obtain it. And the brain responds: we’re less tempted. By creating physical distance, we’re less likely to act on a fleeting impulse to check our phones. We can use our comfort-seeking nature not to give in—but to resist distraction.
Every habit starts with a cue that signals the possibility of a reward.
From Atomic Habits
Creating distance from your phone works by eliminating or distancing that cue. This disrupts the shortcut your brain has built over time. Still, the urge might pop up even without a cue, especially if the habit is deeply embedded. Physical distance then plays a second role: increasing the friction between you and the response (step 3 of any habit loop).
If you have to walk across the house or open a safe with a code to get to your phone—it’s a game-changer.
The Table Rule
To gradually reduce my smartphone’s gravitational pull, I make a point of keeping it away from me multiple times a day. First, I use a physical alarm clock, so my phone doesn’t come into the bedroom—neither at night nor first thing in the morning.
Second, whenever I prepare for a deep work session, I make sure to put my phone in another room beforehand. And as of last week, I’m trying out a new discipline: the table rule.
Simple. Basic. No phone on the table: not during meals, not while I’m working, not when I’m with friends or family. It goes on the floor, a shelf, or in a bag—anywhere but the table. And thanks to simple rules like this, I’ve started noticing something interesting:
When I intentionally and frequently put distance between myself and my phone, an emotional distance starts to form too. I feel less captive. Less drawn in by that invisible thread.
Block Apps
Sometimes, willpower alone just isn’t enough —and we all need a little extra help! For that, we highly recommend the Jomo app, available for free on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
You can add what’s called a “Session.” This is a time slot during which the apps of your choice will be blocked. It’s a great tool to fight against compulsive —and especially unintentional— usage.
Here’s how to do it:
Go to the “Rules” section.
Tap on “+” > “Recurring Session.”
Choose your preferred time interval, select the apps to block, and add it!
Physical Distance & Self-control
The issue with our relationship to smartphones often isn’t choice—it’s impulse control. The brain’s vulnerabilities are expertly exploited by attention dealers, messing with our reward systems and forming sticky habits.
It’s not just about willpower anymore—these are automatic behaviors. We’re subjected to them, rather than choosing them. As Laura Branigan sang in her hit song “You take my self-control.”, back in 1984, she probably wasn’t talking about her phone. But her words hit hard 40 years later.
Smartphones chip away at our self-control. They condition us to give in to distractions, to interrupt ourselves. Creating distance is a perfect counter move.
Take candy, for example. Who doesn’t sneak a few pieces when there’s an open bag nearby? But if that sugar craving hits and there’s nothing in the house, your only option is going to the store. That extra effort is a barrier. You’ll only go if the craving is truly overpowering.
My girlfriend recently introduced me to these popular Swedish candies. Whenever they’re within reach at home—game over. I know I’ll finish the whole bag. Humans are naturally wired to take the path of least resistance.
Knowing that, we can hack our instincts. By reducing a reward’s accessibility, we force ourselves out of our comfort zone to obtain it. And the brain responds: we’re less tempted. By creating physical distance, we’re less likely to act on a fleeting impulse to check our phones. We can use our comfort-seeking nature not to give in—but to resist distraction.
Every habit starts with a cue that signals the possibility of a reward.
From Atomic Habits
Creating distance from your phone works by eliminating or distancing that cue. This disrupts the shortcut your brain has built over time. Still, the urge might pop up even without a cue, especially if the habit is deeply embedded. Physical distance then plays a second role: increasing the friction between you and the response (step 3 of any habit loop).
If you have to walk across the house or open a safe with a code to get to your phone—it’s a game-changer.
The Table Rule
To gradually reduce my smartphone’s gravitational pull, I make a point of keeping it away from me multiple times a day. First, I use a physical alarm clock, so my phone doesn’t come into the bedroom—neither at night nor first thing in the morning.
Second, whenever I prepare for a deep work session, I make sure to put my phone in another room beforehand. And as of last week, I’m trying out a new discipline: the table rule.
Simple. Basic. No phone on the table: not during meals, not while I’m working, not when I’m with friends or family. It goes on the floor, a shelf, or in a bag—anywhere but the table. And thanks to simple rules like this, I’ve started noticing something interesting:
When I intentionally and frequently put distance between myself and my phone, an emotional distance starts to form too. I feel less captive. Less drawn in by that invisible thread.
Block Apps
Sometimes, willpower alone just isn’t enough —and we all need a little extra help! For that, we highly recommend the Jomo app, available for free on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
You can add what’s called a “Session.” This is a time slot during which the apps of your choice will be blocked. It’s a great tool to fight against compulsive —and especially unintentional— usage.
Here’s how to do it:
Go to the “Rules” section.
Tap on “+” > “Recurring Session.”
Choose your preferred time interval, select the apps to block, and add it!
Physical Distance & Self-control
The issue with our relationship to smartphones often isn’t choice—it’s impulse control. The brain’s vulnerabilities are expertly exploited by attention dealers, messing with our reward systems and forming sticky habits.
It’s not just about willpower anymore—these are automatic behaviors. We’re subjected to them, rather than choosing them. As Laura Branigan sang in her hit song “You take my self-control.”, back in 1984, she probably wasn’t talking about her phone. But her words hit hard 40 years later.
Smartphones chip away at our self-control. They condition us to give in to distractions, to interrupt ourselves. Creating distance is a perfect counter move.
Take candy, for example. Who doesn’t sneak a few pieces when there’s an open bag nearby? But if that sugar craving hits and there’s nothing in the house, your only option is going to the store. That extra effort is a barrier. You’ll only go if the craving is truly overpowering.
My girlfriend recently introduced me to these popular Swedish candies. Whenever they’re within reach at home—game over. I know I’ll finish the whole bag. Humans are naturally wired to take the path of least resistance.
Knowing that, we can hack our instincts. By reducing a reward’s accessibility, we force ourselves out of our comfort zone to obtain it. And the brain responds: we’re less tempted. By creating physical distance, we’re less likely to act on a fleeting impulse to check our phones. We can use our comfort-seeking nature not to give in—but to resist distraction.
Every habit starts with a cue that signals the possibility of a reward.
From Atomic Habits
Creating distance from your phone works by eliminating or distancing that cue. This disrupts the shortcut your brain has built over time. Still, the urge might pop up even without a cue, especially if the habit is deeply embedded. Physical distance then plays a second role: increasing the friction between you and the response (step 3 of any habit loop).
If you have to walk across the house or open a safe with a code to get to your phone—it’s a game-changer.
The Table Rule
To gradually reduce my smartphone’s gravitational pull, I make a point of keeping it away from me multiple times a day. First, I use a physical alarm clock, so my phone doesn’t come into the bedroom—neither at night nor first thing in the morning.
Second, whenever I prepare for a deep work session, I make sure to put my phone in another room beforehand. And as of last week, I’m trying out a new discipline: the table rule.
Simple. Basic. No phone on the table: not during meals, not while I’m working, not when I’m with friends or family. It goes on the floor, a shelf, or in a bag—anywhere but the table. And thanks to simple rules like this, I’ve started noticing something interesting:
When I intentionally and frequently put distance between myself and my phone, an emotional distance starts to form too. I feel less captive. Less drawn in by that invisible thread.
Block Apps
Sometimes, willpower alone just isn’t enough —and we all need a little extra help! For that, we highly recommend the Jomo app, available for free on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
You can add what’s called a “Session.” This is a time slot during which the apps of your choice will be blocked. It’s a great tool to fight against compulsive —and especially unintentional— usage.
Here’s how to do it:
Go to the “Rules” section.
Tap on “+” > “Recurring Session.”
Choose your preferred time interval, select the apps to block, and add it!
Credits
This article is a revised version of Edition #31 of the Screenbreak newsletter created by Julien Rousset. With his permission, we're sharing this high-quality content with you today! So many thanks to Julien. 😌
Photographies by Unsplash, Dall-e, ScreenBreak and the Internet.
[1] Ward, Duke, Gneezy, Bos - Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity, University of Chicago Press Journals, 2017.
[2] Skowronek, Seifert, Lindberg - The mere presence of a smartphone reduces basal attentional performance, Scientific Reports, 2023.
[3] Huot - Dans son lit ou derrière un écran, on ne mange plus du tout comme avant, l'ADN, 2019.
[4] Barlot - Ce restaurant vous récompense si vous n’utilisez pas votre téléphone à table, France Info, 2024.
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The Joy Of Missing Out
Développé en Europe
Tous droits réservés à Jomo SAS, 2025
The Joy Of Missing Out
Développé en Europe
Tous droits réservés à Jomo SAS, 2025
The Joy Of Missing Out
Développé en Europe
Tous droits réservés à Jomo SAS, 2025