Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
In 1998, when I started my business, PostcardMania, the first mobile phone with a color screen was released. Facebook didn't exist, phones absolutely didn't fit in our pockets, and people still wrote checks at the grocery store.
The Internet was in its infancy and we weren't fed up with technology where it overtook our daily lives. It was new and exciting, but still ported to a desktop.
Just two decades later, and we can't go a day without our smartphones in our hands, social media has replaced most personal interactions, and checks are obsoleted by cash.
Between 2000 and 2018, studies show that the average American has approx tripled their time online, going from 9.4 hours online per week to 23.6 in 2018 – and that was before the pandemic. Some studies put in motion pandemic screen time between 60-80% for adults. All this movement makes us feel a certain way: 46% of respondents in a study said that excessive screen time was a major cause of chronic fatigue.
Not only does digital distract us – a study found that residents of the US check their smartphones 352 times a day, affecting our productivity – but it can also lead to real health problems. Medical research ends that excessive screen time leads to insomnia, visual problems, decreased bone density and high blood pressure. Beyond physical ailments, digital overload has effects on our mental and emotional health, increasing anxiety and depression.
Some businesses see the solution as a complete ban on mobile phones at work. However, this can lead to disgruntled employees who feel more like toddlers in daycare than trusted adults. I've always found that people respond best to it autonomy — give them ownership of something and their care factor goes up.
There is a better way to balance a modern workplace to maintain meaningful connections and meet our goals for success. All it takes is a few deliberate changes…
Connected: The dangers of digital burnout and how to prioritize your mental health
Create new opportunities for personal connections at work
The pandemic reshaped the workplace when work-from-home rates tripled from 2019 to 2021, but may have created disconnects for convenience. So how can you re-strengthen those bonds within the office?
Try replacing one Zoom meeting a week with in-person meetings, either at the office or even at a local coffee shop. Or host a big company-wide meeting once a week in person (like I do) so all staff can see each other face-to-face across separate departments.
In addition to simply meeting about projects, start implementing fun, team building events that create moments for genuine connection and creativity. Let every department in your company think and come up with these fun activities, like mini golf, going to an escape room or an obstacle course. Even training together a few times a week can be a way to bring team members together.
Improve staff performance with off-screen organization and productivity tools
It probably won't surprise you that someone like me – the CEO of a multi-million dollar direct mail company – would enjoy checking the mailbox every day and flipping through the letters and cards to see what's in there. But these days, I'm noticing more professionals putting their phones down and picking them up paper and a pen.
Whether one is sending a letter, writing in a journal, or sitting down to plan one's week with a calendar book, there is something appealing about striking a smooth piece of paper with ink and jotting down one's intentions, thoughts, and desires. .
The intentional act of interacting with a physical object forces us to slow down, enjoy the moment, and be fully present in the experience. Help staff members plan their weeks and avoid digital distractions by giving them paper planners, desk calendars or magazines. Consider investing in branded magazines as well to improve morale and company pride.
The benefits can trickle down—many studies show that reading comprehension, focus and memory can be improved by switching from screen-based to paper-based reading.
Connected: The surprising reason why this young tech entrepreneur swears by pen and paper
Use direct mail marketing to increase revenue and cover expenses
Creating more in-person meetings and events, as well as providing more tangible tools for organizing, comes at a cost. One way to increase your budget for these objectives is to increase revenue with direct mail marketing.
The United States Postal Service partnered with researchers from Temple University's Center for Neural Decision Making to study the reason why print carries more gravitas for us as humans. It turns out that after intensive scientific study, the reason why direct mail has a bigger impact is because of the way our brains react to stimulation.
Holding a physical ad activates our senses of touch, smell and sight and triggers an emotional response within a specific neural area of the brain that allows us to remember the ad for a longer period of time. Ultimately, the study determined that print ads increased product desirability compared to digital ads that were more quickly forgotten.
Not only can direct mail make a great impression on your target audience and ideal customer response rate it is up to nine times higher than that of email. In fact, in 2023, 74% of marketers agreed that direct mail provides the best return on investment.
Also, studies found that there was an 18% greater return on investment when businesses included direct mail in their multi-channel marketing mix, compared to relying on digital alone.
One of my clients, a motor and motor home flipper, mailed about 24,000 postcards and made $50,000 in revenue for a 590% ROI. We have over 700 more direct mail case studies with even more attractive ROI, several to several thousands.
Once you've made some of these adjustments, write down exactly how these changes affected your business and relationships. You may be surprised to discover how much value it adds to your daily life DISRUPTIONS from the digital at times and focusing on the magic of the tangible.