THE JOURNAL
My husband is always on his phone: seven elegant ways to bring him back.
When you’re married to an executive, the phone is part of the marriage. But there’s a difference between a busy man and an absent one. Here’s how to make that point—without blame, and with style.
1. Don’t fight the phone—protect the moment
A man running a portfolio won’t put his phone down “in general.” He will for a specific, named moment: Friday dinner, Sunday brunch, sunset on the boat.
2. Speak his language: commitment
Businessmen live by commitments kept. Offer a challenge instead of a rule: a duration, stakes he sets himself, a promise. That is exactly how egOxa works.
3. Let him make the call
Nothing backfires like imposed control. Invite him to a private room for two and let him accept. He makes the commitment—which is why he’ll keep it.
4. Pick settings where screens don’t belong
A table at a great restaurant, the terrace of the house, the chalet after skiing: some settings deserve undivided attention. Start there, for an hour or an evening.
5. Lead by example—quietly
Start with a solo challenge yourself. The mirror effect is powerful: a competitive man hates being the only one still online.
6. Make disconnecting a privilege, not a punishment
Today, true luxury is being unreachable. Framed that way, the challenge becomes a status symbol: only those who have made it can afford to disappear for two hours.
7. Celebrate every challenge kept
A successful phone-free dinner deserves to be noticed. The next one gets easier—and he’s often the one who suggests it.
The journal
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