- Arsia Sasha, 30, from California, works in marketing strategy and operations
- He shares tips for optimizing mindset and productivity on TikTok
- In a recent video, he revealed how he broke the habit of picking up his phone.
A productivity guru has revealed the “scientific brain exercise” he uses to avoid being distracted by his smartphone.
Arsia SashaThe 30-year-old from California shares mindset and productivity optimization tips to help people stay focused and achieve their goals on his TikTok.
The content creator, who works in go-to-market strategy and operations, explained in a recent video that he developed a habit of constantly picking up his phone.
“Whenever I wasn’t actively working on something, I would completely lose focus, reach for my phone, and then go off the rails for the next 15 or 20 minutes,” he recalls.
Arsia Sasha, 30, from California, revealed the “scientific brain exercise” he used to keep from getting distracted by his smartphone.
The content creator, who works in go-to-market strategy and operations, shares tips for optimizing mindset and productivity on TikTok.
Using a smartphone is one of the biggest barriers to productivity, but most people feel compelled to reach for their device throughout the day, even if they know they should be doing something else.
Americans check their phones an average of 144 times a day, according to a recent survey by Avis.org.
“What you’re going to notice is that it’s just a habit, meaning it’s something that you’ve ingrained in yourself over and over again,” Arsia said.
“Usually what happens is you’re working on something you don’t want to or you don’t know how to do it.
“Your brain doesn’t like uncertainty, so it’s like, ‘Um, what am I going to do now?’ Then it sees your phone – the dopamine hits.
Studies have shown that phone activity causes the brain to release dopamine, the feel-good chemical linked to pleasurable activities.
The urge for dopamine is what drives you to compulsively reach for your phone, but there is a way to control that urge.
Arsia explained that if you picked up your phone enough to get that reward, it became an instinctive reaction that you did without even thinking.
Arsia explained that searching for your cell phone gives you a dose of dopamine, and if you do it enough, it becomes a hard habit to break.
“The next time you feel like reaching for your phone, you’ll stop and mess up,” he said. “You’re going to tell yourself that you’re going to pick up your phone in about five minutes, and then you keep working.”
He said there was a “scientific brain exercise” he now used to avoid being distracted by his phone.
“The next time you feel like reaching for your phone, you’ll stop and mess up,” he said.
“You’re going to tell yourself that you’re going to pick up your phone in about five minutes, and then you continue working.
“Because you will realize that this desire is not that great. You just needed something to pass this little moment.
Arsia said if you do this enough times, you’ll eventually break your smartphone habit.
“You get stronger and stronger by building resistance to the simple act of grabbing your phone, and thus, you have built a counter-habit,” he concluded. “It’s just science.”
