RECEIVE FEWER NOTIFICATIONS
Imagine you’re in your pajamas watching Netflix with your partner and someone randomly walks into the room to announce something you don’t really need to know at that exact moment. Maybe it’s that some friend decided something you said three days ago was semi-interesting or that the Mariners just lost another game. Now imagine that happening many times a day. It makes it tough to stay focused on anything that’s going on in front of you.
How are we supposed to pay attention to what we’re doing or experiencing when something keeps popping up like a non-stop game of shitty whack-a-mole?
Good question. Ask your phone.
Push notifications, texts, pings, and chimes are all designed to let us know when something important happens. The problem is that random services like Solitaire and Amazon have figured out that they’re an excellent way to get your attention like a child that cries “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” until you stop what you’re doing to watch them half-execute a weird thing they realized they could do. If you wear a smartwatch with notifications passed through to your wrist, it’s even harder to ignore.
Tone things down by opening up the settings on your device, navigating to the “Notifications” section and start disabling those pushy little bastards for anything that isn’t imperative you know about immediately. Phone calls OK. Texts, sure. Words with Friends? I doubt it, but you do you.
It takes time to shift gears away from what we’re doing, then back to it after whatever message felt the need to invade our existence. That time is just lost to the wind but can be saved by intentionally setting aside a few minutes to check all those things at your convenience instead of constantly throughout the day. If you were cleaning your child’s Legos off the floor, would you rather spend the day picking one up at a time or sit down once and get them all in a few minutes? It’s your call, but I know what I’d choose.
This is one of those habits you can automate by adjusting a few settings on your device. The only additional work you have to do is that when you get a new app that asks if it can pester you with notifications, remember this article and make a conscious decision about how important those interruptions would be before you blindly tap “OK.” I’m not saying you have to turn them all off; just be a little picky about who’s allowed to bother you.
Then, sit back and enjoy being much less irritated by your technology.
