PRODUCTIVITY TIPS
Why “Do Not Disturb” Is My Favorite Smart Phone Setting
For reducing interruptions and improving focus
Have cellphones become more annoying than useful?
Back in the day, one of the major advantages of a cellphone over a landline was that it was largely free of sales calls. Times have changed. My mobile device is now so ridden with spam that I get far more junk calls than real ones. I know I am not alone on this.
Inevitably, those calls come at an inconvenient time. When I am on a peaceful walk with my dog, when I am trying to focus on getting work done, when my kids are telling me about their school day, or when we are sitting down to dinner, to name just a few.
Knowing the junk call is obnoxious at best, illegal and predatory at worst, I feel a twinge of stress in my stomach when I hear the phone ring.
Until recently I solved this by putting my phone on silent all the time and not answering calls from numbers I do not recognize.
However, the notifications would still pop up on the screen. And the other gadgets in my life that talk to my phone, like my watch and my car, would poke me to respond.