A recent study from Germany suggests that cutting back on screen time by just an hour per day can significantly improve workplace motivation and overall well-being. Researchers from the German Center for Mental Health and the Mental Health Research and Treatment Center at Ruhr University Bochum found that this simple change can have a positive impact on employee satisfaction, productivity, and mental health.
The randomized controlled trial involved nearly 300 employees from various industries across Germany. Participants were divided into four groups and asked to modify their behaviors for a week:
- Smartphone group: Reduced daily smartphone use by an hour.
- Physical activity group: Increased daily physical activity by 30 minutes.
- Combination group: Reduced smartphone use by an hour and increased physical activity.
- Control group: Maintained their usual behaviors.
After the week-long intervention, participants in the smartphone and combination groups reported significant improvements in their mental health, work-life balance, work satisfaction, and motivation. They also experienced reduced feelings of work overload and symptoms of problematic smartphone use.
All participants who were asked to change their behavior, regardless of whether they focused on reducing screen time or increasing physical activity, experienced reduced depressive symptoms and a greater sense of control.
The study's findings suggest that a conscious and controlled reduction of non-work-related screen time, combined with more physical activity, can be a simple yet effective way to improve employee well-being and boost workplace productivity.
One of the study’s major limitations is that the participants were all white and relatively young; no group’s average age exceeded 28. Future studies are needed to see if the findings hold for a more representative sample of the international workforce, the authors noted. As this study focused on non-work-related smartphone use, additional research might explore how work-related screen time impacts mental health, they said.
If you’re looking to cut back on your own screen time but aren’t sure how to go about it, try what Alex Turvy, MEd, a researcher in Tulane University’s City + Culture + Community program studying social media and Internet culture, calls an “integration over separation” tactic. You could pair digital engagement with physical activity, such as going for a walk while listening to an audiobook.
“Recognize that the dichotomy between screen time and non-screen time is becoming increasingly blurred,” Turvy previously told Fortune. “Integrating meaningful screen-free activities into daily routines rather than strictly separating the two can be helpful.”