How to really notice notifications to put you back in control
Even if you’re a master of distraction avoidance and have your notification-free worktime down pat, there can still be times when we’re enslaved to our notification triggers on our phones or computers. Or worse, we keep the notifications a-coming and we just ignore them.
Notification fatigue is a very real thing.
Have you noticed how some of them seem important, but others are easier to ignore?
The daily updates from Google Calendar deleted without a second thought? The ‘Jenny added 56 new files to your shared folder’ right, and? It’s then really easy to miss things because we receive so many updates and notifications each day.
I’ve turned most sounds off on my phone for emails, WhatsApp and social media, so if I have a call or a text message come through, I really notice that. By switching off certain notifications, I’ve turned up the volume of the importance of the others.
So why not switch them all off unless you have to?
Turn them off to turn it up
When you turn off the notifications that don’t matter, you really notice ones that do. You increase their volume and increase your productivity and focus at the same time by cutting out superfluous distractions.
Do not disturb
Give yourself time when they’re all turned off – switch off your device completely or select a ‘Do not disturb’ mode.
Or set up a scheduled ‘Do not disturb’ time period. On my computer, I have no notifications before mid-day. This means that I set time to deal with emails, rather than dealing reactively with them with each ping. As I’m on-email most of the day anyway, the distraction of notifications would be unnecessary.
At your computer, think whether receiving email updates or push notifications from project management and collaboration tools is more useful. Which works better for you, so you notice them and don’t miss them? Can you change your preferences so that your notifications work with you?
I’ve set up an automation to filter off notification emails from one shared tool that I’m on. I know I’ll see the notifications when I login anyway, which I do at set times each day, so it just means I read it on my terms and when I have time to action it too.
What simple changes could you make?