Phone-free windows
Carve out time each day when the phone is in another room. Frees attention for present people.
Why
Even a phone face-down on the table reduces the quality of in-person conversation in observational studies. Designating phone-free windows (meals, evenings, mornings) restores attention to people and surroundings. Doesn't require digital minimalism, just bounded availability.
Slot in your day
How to do it
How
Pick one daily window: e.g., 6–8pm dinner, or first hour after waking. Phone in another room. Build the habit before adding more windows.
Sticking with it
Charge the phone in another room overnight. Removing the affordance is more durable than willpower.
Evidence
Przybylski & Weinstein 2013 J Soc Pers Relat lab study: even a phone face-down on the table during conversation reduced reported closeness, connection, and conversation quality vs a notebook control. Misra 2016 field observation (n=100 dyads) replicated the effect outside the lab. Evidence base is preliminary but mechanistically consistent.