Don't Let Your Phone Bully You, 4 Ways to Stop the Interruptions

howtogeek.com:

Feeling pulled in a million directions by your phone's constant buzzes and pings? You're not alone. iPhones and Android phones are masters at interrupting our focus and hijacking our attention. But it doesn't have to be this way. You can take control of your phone and reclaim some peace.

Your Phone Works For You

First and foremost, the most important thing to understand is a smartphone is a tool. When you pick up a hammer, it only does what you want it to do—the same applies to a phone.

This is a common problem that many people have with their smartphones. They complain about apps sucking up their time or notifications constantly bothering them. Not to point fingers, but—who installed those apps? Who allowed notifications? Who has the power to turn them off? You.

You are in complete control of everything that happens on your phone. If there's a specific app that is bothering you with notifications, turn them off or uninstall the app. It may not always be easy to hunt down where the distractions are coming from, but there is almost always something you can do about it.

It's Okay to Miss Notifications

Smartphones have made it very easy to contact anyone (and be contacted) at any time. People are posting on social media at all hours of the day from around the world. There's always something new to see. FOMO is a big reason why notifications and app usage get out of hand.

Let's just be honest, there's a lot of stuff happening on your phone that is okay to miss. You don't need to enable notifications for every app that asks for it. Maybe you're a big sports fan and you like to keep up with news on the ESPN app. Is it really critical to your daily life to know the exact moment when an NBA player gets suspended?

It's much healthier and less interrupting to your life to simply open the app once or twice a day to check in when you have some free time. The same applies to social media apps. Sure, you'll miss some stuff, but the best stuff tends to bubble to