CEO Diary #2 Information Overload Solutions
TL;DR — Do this now. Really.
Switch off email notifications, and icon badges on apps that bring no other value than to get you into the app (Facebook, LinkedIn, Swarm, Twitter, Instagram…) — seriously, you can look at it later — and if you forget, it probably wasn’t so important, was it?
Switch off vibrations and put your phone constantly in silent mode. Do you really need to know somebody sent you a message just now? Will the world end? No, it won’t — so grant yourself some breathing room and check your phone on your own time.
Switch off message previews. This adds a level of security, plus you can still get content from the lock screen when you use Touch/Face ID without unlocking the phone (iOS).
Use do not disturb mode when you need to focus . Your phone has it, your computer has it, use it — people will wait.
Update after Google I/O 2018: switch your phone into greyscale mode at night to help with falling asleep.
Be productive by reclaiming your focus and mindful time
You’re getting tons of emails and messages every day and the screen on your phone lights up and catches your attention. Focus. Ruined.
Here are a couple tips that will help you battle information overload and keep you focused.
Switch off email notifications
Let’s face it: unless you’re super organized, you’re getting a ton of emails that are not worth your attention. Now, you can set up filters for it, but that’s extra work. Also, your phone is probably in your hand quite often throughout the day, so why not check email on your own schedule? Switching the notifications off means also switching off the badge. Maybe it’s just me, but when I see a badge on an app icon, I have to take a look and see what’s new. So, with this switched off, even though you have email, you aren’t obligated to look at it when occupied with something else on your phone.
Habit: Define time in the day when you actually check your email (and let others know). You can even put them as events into your calendar so you have uninterrupted time for yourself to deal with your inbox.
Put your phone into silent mode and switch off vibrations
Do you know people who have their phones in front of them when speaking with you, and when they light up or vibrate they stop the discussion to look at it? Not only is this irritating, but also disrespectful. Don’t be that person. Switching off vibrations will make you more focused on your work and more present in the moment.
Switch off message previews
Almost all messaging apps allow you to switch off the message previews. With iOS 11 you have the ability to have all notification content hidden unless you unlock your phone either by Touch ID or face ID. That means just unlocking it but not opening it. This ensures a baseline level of privacy.
Habit: When message previews are off, you are much less likely to impulsively check the contents of a message and waste your time. When I get multiple notifications, I simply unlock the phone, scroll through the lock screen and open the phone to home screen to get rid of the notifications. I check the details later on my own time.
Do Not Disturb mode is your friend
Your phone has a Do Not Disturb mode and your computer has a Do Not Disturb mode. Use it especially when you’re working on something that requires sustained focus.
Habit: Whenever you need to focus on something — write a longer email, conceptualize a presentation, focus on a piece of code — switch DND on. This usually triggers for me when I forget to turn DND on and somebody messages me — I put a DND button on my MacBook’s touchbar where Siri is by default.
Final thoughts
For me, these steps evolved as a defense mechanism for information overload and my inability to focus. I’ve been adhering to these tips for the past five years, and I believe these are some of the core things you need to do to stay focused and productive while also receiving a ton of information that you need to act on.
Update after Google I/O 2018
Google just introduced Wind Down mode in Android P, which essentially turns your screen into greyscale mode to help you fall asleep better. On top of Night Mode in iOS, which you can set to turn on at a predetermined time or at sunset, you can achieve the same result as Wind Down by triple-clicking the side/home button (upon setting it in accessibility settings). Thanks Jan Habich for the tip!
