87% of smartphone users check their device within an hour of going to sleep or waking up.
Half of the world’s population are mobile internet users, over 5 billion people. 79% of Americans use social media compared to 10% in 2008. From how we connect, date, take photos, create, communicate, shop, work, buy groceries, bank, watch movies, technology was supposed to make us more efficient but instead it takes more time to manage it all at the expense of our time, focus, attention and money in our wallet. People around the world spend an average of 463 minutes or over 7.5 hours per day with media. This leaves little time for anything else, like living, working, sleeping.
We live in a world full of distractions, dopamine addiction, technology demanding every sec of our time. For most of us, our phones rule our lives.
Our brains are being manipulated by companies, by advertisers competing for our attention. Our time. Our money. We are the product for as long as we allow it.
"If you are not paying for the product, you are the product"
To help deal with my iphone constantly stealing my focus and attention, I changed my settings based on a course from the Flow Research Collective. It’s amazing to see how much more time I have to get the work that matters done.
Tech Settings to protect your focus (iPhone)
- Turn all notifications off from all of your apps except for any delivery apps and your iphone app. These notifications spike your dopamine and it’s hard not to get distracted.
- Delete all social media apps – try it for a week and see how you feel. You can still use them on your desktop and you can always put them back on.
- Move all of your inbox apps to a folder on your last screen of your phone so you can decide when you can respond to all of them at the same time
- Delete all seldom used apps
- Disable all in-app ratings and reviews from your Settings
- Turn on the do not disturb for 24/7 and customize your outgoing message. You will still receive messages but you can respond to them when YOU decide.
- Make your wall paper all black
- Turn off Raise Awake on your phone
- Add content restrictions and select any websites that you feel you gravitate towards and steal your attention
- Work in flight mode throughout the day
Do these for a week and then come back and tell me how you feel. I have experienced so much more calm, focus and progress that I don’t think I’ll ever go back.
But that’s me.
One Comment
Thank you! I do not have notifications on but appreciate the inclusion of these other tips!