Reducing Digital Distractions

Four quick ways to dramatically reduce distractions: (Pick just one and you'll still benefit!) Pick up your phone and: 1. Adjust your colorful screen to grayscale. 2. Disable most notifications. Batch others. 3. Set daily time limits by app/app category. 4. Put your phone out of reach and/or sight. People often tell me they struggle to focus. It's something I'd noticed increasingly in myself, too. And then I realized I could greatly improve my focus by setting myself up for focus by removing distractions. Which both increase focus and reduce stress. So last year I began with notifications. Removing the super random ones, and batching most of the rest into three chosen times: 9am, 3pm, 7pm. I then reduced the color on my screen. Full grayscale didn't display well in certain apps but subtle color did. And finally I set the app/phone time limits. And when I did I realized I often hit them before 10am. Yikes. Do I override the limits sometimes? YES. But when I do I now put the phone down much faster. I also kept a handful of notifications - eg family texts - real time. As we begin a new week, if you've found yourself distracted, which of these will you try? And what have I missed? If this post resonated, you can help others see it with your reactions, comments & reposts. Together we can improve our focus - and overall wellbeing. *** Hi, I'm Sally! Click follow (+) for more on workplace wellbeing, personal growth, human resilience, meaningful connection, cancer survivorship & more. #wellbeing #technology #productivity

I’m saving 2+ hours per day with a fridge magnet. It has one button with one purpose: to save me from my phone addiction. It’s called a 'Brick' and I'd never heard about it until 3 weeks ago With the press of a button, this little square lifesaver blocks my phone from being more than a phone. No more apps, distractions, or unnecessary functions (other than those you allow). Genius, right? I stick it on the fridge while I’m working. It’s a physical reminder that sometimes, to lock in focus, you need to lock out distractions. To unblock my phone, I have to walk to the kitchen and push the button. And every time I'm tempted, I pause and ask myself: “Do I really need this?” Small friction, HUGE impact. There’s a billion-dollar industry for products like Brick saving us from ourselves. And it stretches beyond the digital detox space. The reason is simple: The world doesn't just need more products — it needs smarter solutions. Brick isn't for everyone. It solves a specific issue for people like me wanting to tame distractions and reclaim focus. It’s a ‘Fiji product’ — an island off on its own without any competitors, focusing on highly specific problems faced by a niche audience. Compare that to “New York products” — broad solutions for mainstream problems, crowded and competitive. Things like productivity apps and consumer social apps. In business, we often default to New York thinking. How can we serve THE MOST people possible? But trying to be everything for everyone rarely works. So what's the takeaway? If you’re building something new: find your 'Fiji' Find that super specific problem a passionate community is facing and solve it like nobody else has. You want to create a product so fitting, so perfect for its audience, that it becomes indispensable. And like Fiji, it's far away, far from competition and is viewed as non threatening by big incumbents. I'm experiencing this firsthand with my Brick (not affiliated in any way btw). More than a fancy fridge magnet, it's a gateway to better habits and a more focused life. It's 'Fiji' through and through — offering an uncommon solution for a specific problem. And I can't see Apple or Adidas building a competitor. The world is overflowing with 'New Yorks’ Let's build more 'Fijis’

Here’s an idea you can steal this weekend that my wife and I have done together— works wonders to disconnect and reset. Get an old iPhone and delete everything from the phone except the ability to make phone calls. On the weekends and whenever you feel like it during the week, throw your regular iPhones in a room by themselves and take your burner phone around with you. The phone can make calls, send texts, and has a GPS— so people can get ahold of you in an emergency (important if you have kids with a babysitter). The phone has no social media at all. No reason to scroll. No notifications to distract. No reason to stare at the screen. It’s extremely freeing to leave the house for hours at a time without any reason to look at the phone in your pocket. It’s a true mental reset and reorientation to be present. It’s also alarming in those first few hours how many times the thought crosses will probably cross your mind: “I wonder what I’m missing?” 10/10 would recommend to anyone who can’t seem to put their phone down. There’s an entire world out there that we don’t see anymore because we keep looking down at our phones.

Stop Wearing Sleep Deprivation as a Badge of Honor That 4 AM email isn't making you successful; it's sabotaging your performance. 38% of U.S. workers report workplace fatigue, and it's costing them their competitive edge. What sleep deprivation is really stealing from you: ↳ Sharp decision-making abilities ↳ Creative problem-solving skills ↳ Emotional regulation under pressure ↳ Long-term health (increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers) The performance hack most professionals don't know: Here's how to optimize your sleep strategy. ✅ Commit to 7-9 hours of sleep opportunity (not just time in bed) ✅ Create a consistent sleep schedule, yes, even on weekends ✅ Implement a "digital sunset" 90 minutes before bed ✅ Cool your bedroom to 65-68°F for optimal sleep phases ✅ Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to eliminate light pollution ✅ Try strategic 10-20 minute power naps if your schedule allows ✅ Track your sleep quality using wearable technology ✅ Correlate your sleep data with your performance metrics ✅ Adjust your daily schedule based on your natural circadian rhythms Choose one strategy and implement it. Your future self and your business results will thank you. What's the biggest challenge preventing you from getting quality sleep? Drop it in the comments, and let's problem-solve together. #sleepoptimization #executivewellness #performancehacking #askdrpat

Reclaiming Your Focus in a Distracted World Are you tired of feeling scattered and overwhelmed by the constant barrage of distractions? It's time to take back control of your attention and unleash your full potential. Here are five strategies to sharpen your focus and thrive in today's fast-paced digital landscape: 1. Master the Art of Presence: In every interaction, give the person in front of you your undivided attention. Resist the urge to check your phone or get sidetracked by your surroundings. Practice active listening and show genuine interest in what they have to say. 2. Embrace the 90-Minute Work Sprint: Dedicate uninterrupted blocks of 90 minutes to your most important tasks.Close your email, silence notifications, and immerse yourself fully in your work. You'll be amazed at how much you can accomplish when you eliminate distractions. 3. Declutter Your Digital Space: Tame the email beast by closing your inbox and turning off notifications. Minimize browser tabs and resist the temptation to endlessly scroll through social media feeds. Create a calm and focused digital environment that supports your productivity. 4. Become a Single-Tasking Jedi: Contrary to popular belief, multitasking is a myth. Focus on one task at a time,completing it to the best of your ability before moving on to the next. By prioritizing quality over quantity, you'll achieve better results and feel less stressed. 5. Nourish Your Mind with Long-Form Content: Ditch the mindless scrolling and immerse yourself in the richness of long-form content. Read books, dive into in-depth articles, and engage in thoughtful discussions. By training your brain to focus on sustained periods, you'll gain deeper insights and unlock new levels of creativity. Remember, your attention is your most valuable asset. By mastering the art of focus, you'll not only improve your productivity but also enhance your relationships and overall well-being. So, take a deep breath, tune out the noise, and embrace the power of your undivided attention. Found this useful ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Anthony Iannarino for more sales strategies.

I am someone who consistently got "N"s in Elementary School (needs improvement) on desk organization and any other thing that had to do with order. At any given time I have dozens of windows and tabs open and my brain is ok with it. As part of a #FocusedFall, I am going to be posting about my #OrganizedOctober effort. Self-organization is a constant growth curve for me. Sunsama is a time blocking app I've used for over a year and the days I use it go amazingly. They just added a Focus bar that can travel to the many windows I have opened and remind me what I said I was going to focus on. More to come on my Organized October efforts, but thought I'd share a tip that I received in my inbox from Ashutosh Priyadarshy Sunsama's Founder this morning on managing notifications and emails. The jest is set time-blocks in your day to manage these things: *If your job requires you to be extremely responsive, you can create three versions of this task: "Inbound Triage (AM)", "Inbound Triage (Lunch)", and "Inbound Triage (PM)". This way, you'll only go about three hours between checks. *If you get a lot of requests via Slack, you can turn any message into a task in Sunsama using the "..." menu next to the message in Slack. *If a lot of your work arrives via email, add the Sunsama Gmail integration. Then you can drag emails that require more effort to tackle in as tasks and treat them like real work. *If you'd like to dive deeper into jiu-jitsuing your notifications, I recommend reading the chapter "Hack Back Email" in Nir Eyal's book Indistractable. I'll let you know how implementing these help me next week, check out links in the comments for info on Sunsama.

More than 40% of my precious time was gobbled up by this addiction . . . .  I was about to read a book when a sound broke my concentration. Once, twice, and that was it. I couldn't ignore it any longer.   It was a WhatsApp notification demanding my attention. One innocent tap turned into an avalanche of distractions.   Messages, articles, videos—you name it, I was lost in the digital world. And I missed my evening walk too.   Relatable?                                                              I always wondered what triggered this addiction. For me, it was a barrage of notifications, a never-ending scroll of social media, and the lure of endless information. I was glued to my screen, hour after hour.   This wasn't just regular usage anymore; it had slipped into the territory of addiction. A habit loop was forming. It gave me a dose of dopamine, and I enjoyed coming back for more.   That instant gratification we feel after binge-watching a show or scrolling through a dozen cat videos. It's like a digital high.   I badly wanted to hack this habit loop. I followed the pattern.   🍁 Identifying the cues—the what and when that push us toward our screens.   🍁 Our behavior to the cue.   🍁 How do we act upon that cue?   Here is my plan to break free from this digital spiderweb 🕸   🍂 First, I set up boundaries.   🍂 I identified my triggers and hit pause on the autopilot response.   🍂 Designated specific times for my screen time   The fallout of this digital detox?   Improved focus, better memory recall, a revived attention span, and a healthier relationship with my gadgets.   🌱 Slowly but surely, I'm regaining control over my screen-addled life.   Are you addicted to your gadgets? Share your thoughts in the comments     📌 Follow Sreeram Chellappa M A and connect to read about the latest insights, tips, and strategies for personal and professional growth 🚀   ☎ Book a discovery session to transform your life. Click the link in my Bio to get started today.   #icfcoach #icf #icfcredential #phone #addiction #digitalhigh #digitaldetox #habbitloop #screentime

“I hope this email finds you…” I hope FEWER emails find all of you. But when they (inevitably) do find you, follow 3-21-0: • 3 email processing sessions daily • 21 minutes per session • 0 emails left (goal of inbox zero) I first learned of this method from author Kevin Kruse. Today, you’ll get a proven plan to execute it. — First, why follow 3-21-0? Batching. The most successful people of the future will be those who can focus and go deep into their work. Batching email limits distraction and protects non-batching times for valuable "deep work" activities. — How to execute 3-21-0: Block 3, 21-minute sessions on your calendar. Practical times: • 9:30-9:51 AM • 1:00-1:21 PM • 4:30- 4:51 PM Avoid checking email outside these times (if possible). Kill notifications. — Your digital environment is either producing clarity or complexity. Choose clarity with the 3-21-0 Method. ⬳ Find this useful? Repost to help your network too, and follow me for more.

Ever feel like you're constantly getting pulled in a million directions by your phone? Notifications erupt like fireworks, emails pile up, and focus becomes a distant dream. But there’s one simple solution. And no, it’s not getting totally offline 😮💨 Introducing your new best friend: Do Not Disturb mode! Now, some might call it a basic feature, but for me, "Do Not Disturb" is a total game changer. Here's why: ✅ Silence the Notification Storm: Imagine a world free from distracting pings and dings! "Do Not Disturb" lets you enter a focused state, perfect for crushing deadlines, mastering new skills, or simply giving your full attention to important meetings. ✅ Laser Focus, Activated! Without constant interruptions, you can finally tap into deep focus mode. Say goodbye to scattered thoughts and hello to laser-sharp concentration. ✅ Unlock Your Productivity Potential: Stop wasting time switching between tasks and battling distractions. "Do Not Disturb" helps you maximize your productivity and get more done in less time. So, what are you waiting for? Give "Do Not Disturb" a try! 🙌 Set it for an hour and see how much you can accomplish in a focused, distraction-free zone. You might be surprised at the results! What are your biggest focus killers? Let me know in the comments below what kind of tasks you think would benefit most from "Do Not Disturb" mode! We can all help each other conquer distractions and become productivity ninjas. #focus #productivity

The secret superpower they didn’t teach you in school. Grayscale mode. And here’s why 👇🏻 After trying for months to improve my focus with no success, I embarked on a 4-week experiment by switching my phone to grayscale mode. Here are my results: 26.38% 📉 decrease in screen time per day (3 hrs 55 min -> 2 hrs 53 min) 23.13% 📉 decrease in phone pickups per day (147 pickups -> 116 pickups) 14.29% 📈 increase in productivity each day (~4 hrs of work -> 4 hrs 40 min) 7.14% 📈 increase in sleep each night (6 hrs 30 min -> 7 hrs per night) Which led to: More time More focus Less distractions Less energy crashes And a multitude of other benefits While this may be considered a bit extreme to some, it absolutely worked for me. And that’s because I essentially de-gamified my phone. Fantasy sports lost some flavor, The green and red line graphs on Robinhood merged into uniformity, Social media shifted focus from flashy visuals to meaningful words, And as for email—well, it remained a constant source of amusement 😂 Which all reminded me that in a grayscale world, simplicity reigns supreme. Any other grayscale warriors out there?