Would I like my devices to have longer battery life? Sure! Would it make much of a difference in my life? Not really. I’m a creature of habit, and this one habit has eliminated any battery anxiety I once had.
The secret has a simple name: habit stacking. Habit stacking is the act of adding a new habit you want to develop to an existing one you already have. In my case, I charge my devices when doing certain tasks throughout the day.
Going to the Bathroom? Charge My Watch
I wake up, I journal for a bit, and then I immediately go to the bathroom. On the way, I make sure to place my smartwatch on its charger.
After all, I’m not going to need my smartwatch during this time. I’m not tracking steps. I’m not asleep. The world is quiet and notifications, thankfully, aren’t yet flooding in. The smartwatch isn’t doing anything, so it’s a natural time for it to recuperate some juice.
I don’t maintain this habit only in the morning. Whenever I’m about to spend an extended amount of time in the bathroom, I make sure to drop my watch on its charger. My watch can last over two days on a charge, which is one of the reasons I prefer my Galaxy Watch to my old Pixel Watch. Still, with this habit, I rarely see it dip below 40%.
Shower Time? Charge My Phone
When it’s time to hop in the shower, this is a good time to charge my phone. I’m not going to bring it inside with me, and I no longer have the habit of listening to music while I bathe. I’m not going to interact with it for at least ten minutes while I shower, dry off, and get dressed. Typically, it takes me longer.
With the speed phones charge now—even slower-charging phones like those from Apple, Google, and Samsung—fifteen minutes is plenty of time to add several hours of use. If you have a OnePlus phone, you’ve probably charged long enough to last you until the next morning, assuming your phone wasn’t almost dead.
Use a Wireless Charger While Washing Dishes
I like to listen to music or podcasts while washing dishes. I don’t need to hold my phone for this, but I like to have it nearby for switching tracks and selecting feeds. We have an upright wireless charger in the kitchen that gives us an ideal place to put our phones while we’re doing dishes.
Frankly, this habit isn’t just for dishes. The same logic applies to any kitchen task. If I’m cooking, I have my phone nearby on the wireless charger. The charging pad may be much slower than using a cable, but it’s a cleaner solution on our kitchen counter. Besides, when I’m in the kitchen, I’m often there for an hour anyway. I’m not pressed for time.
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Have a Charging Pad for Other Chores
If I’m vacuuming the floor, I’m not looking at my phone. There’s no reason to keep it in my pocket, either. That’s a good time to drop it on the nearest charger. With wireless chargers, there isn’t any extra work. Rather than just placing my phone on the nearest table, I just have to drop it in a specific spot instead—and that’s only if I don’t feel like walking the few extra steps to the charging station in my office.
This works just as well for other household chores. Folding clothes requires both hands, so it’s also a good time to place my phone on a charging pad.
Be Sure to Charge While Driving
Charging while driving may just be the OG phone habit stacking behavior. How many of us plug our phones into a USB cable immediately after turning on our car? My car even has a wireless charging pad, making the task so easy that I can even start charging my phone by accident!
I don’t have to commute to work, but I do live in a rural area. That means many of my trips take 15 to 30 minutes, and it’s not at all uncommon for me to drive for one or two hours. That’s plenty of time to juice up a phone, assuming I’m not pushing my phone too hard using Android Auto. Even then, it wouldn’t matter if I invested in a faster charger.
As someone who has replaced my PC with Samsung DeX, I push my phone pretty hard each day. I’m typing these words on a lapdock connected wirelessly to my phone, which is almost as battery-draining as it gets. Yet by making a habit out of charging while doing other things, I’m rarely ever concerned about my phone dying on me. The same is true of other devices, from my smartwatch to my electric car. When something is a habit, it just isn’t that big a deal.
