I put together my personal tips for getting control over your attention back. So which are they?
Delete the apps (or at least move them to a folder)
Delete the apps you don’t use. The next step is to delete the non-essential ones taking a lot of time from you. If you want to know which ones are the biggest time consumers, check your Screen Time report. I know it’s painful to delete the apps you often use, such as the games you have nice progress in. However, I put it this way - my time on this planet is very limited, is this app contribute somehow to my goals? If not, I delete it mercilessly.
If you can’t delete some app for a serious reason, move it to a folder so it’s hidden from the main screen and you access it only when you really need it and not everytime you check your phone.
Turn off the app badges and notifications
Almost every app these days craves your attention - that’s a fact. The best way to fight it is to not give them a chance to get it. Only the REALLY essential apps should have this right. I want to be the master of my phone, so I turned off the badges for all apps and kept the notifications only for Messenger and WhatsApp.
A good compromise can also be to let the app posts the notifications only to the Notification Center so you don’t see them as they appear - only when YOU want to check them.
Do not disturb mode
This is also a part of the strategy “I’m the master of my phone”. It really helps me to stay focused on what I’m just doing and not letting my phone to distract me. I started using it occasionally but now I have this mode turned on for 99% of the time and it’s great for my productivity. This mode only allows vibrations when someone’s calling, otherwise it’s totally quiet.
Screen Time reports
It’s good to have an overview of the time spent on the phone. You can clearly see the apps you use the most and make the qualified decisions based on this data. It’s also motivational because the reports are evaluated every week and I want to be better than the previous week. Sometimes it’s mind-blowing how much time I was on the phone and makes me very angry on myself.
Keep the phone out of your sight
It really works! The well-known proverb “Out of sight, out of mind” is true. I didn’t believe it until I tried it. Now I hide my phone under the blanket every day. I don’t have the temptation to check it during the day, but I still hear it vibrating when someone’s calling. I know this may sounds a little bit weird or funny, but it’s working, and that’s important.
I hope you found some value in these tips. They are working for me well, my productivity and focus improved a lot. I’m not saying everything’s perfect now, I still do have moments of binging. The fight against addiction and procrastination isn’t over. It’s an everyday battle. Good luck fighting it.