I recently read that 87% of people wake up in the “Stress Response”. This is when our body is on high alert.This is mainly because the first thing they do when they wake up is reach for their phone rather than taking those first few moments for a few mindful breaths.
I think that there is a myth that in order to be successful we need to be constantly online and available. The trouble is that we can be in the middle of writing an important document and often there is a digital interruption. An email can arrive into your inbox and perhaps there is a chime to notify you of its arrival. Many of us also feel that it is a necessity to respond to a text in under 10 sec and believe that the phone should be answered within 4 rings.Let’s not mention the multiple other social media channel chimes.
I have observed people exhibit this kind of behaviour and at the same time complain that they find it hard to get things done. The thing is that many of us allow digital interruption, yet we hate it when people interrupt us. We are often not aware that we are allowing all the digital interruption to take place.One of my pet hates is when I am in mid conversation and the person that I am talking with reaches for their phone to respond to a text or call. Not only do I find it disrespectful, but it can also interrupt the flow of a good conversation.
Here are some simple tips that could help you manage the digital interruption.:
Allocate specific time to check emails and make calls:Try to action your emails on the spot when you read them. This can help you be more efficient.If you allocate time to make calls it can give you the freedom to do other things and forget your phone during this time.
Allocate time for zero interruptions: If you really need to focus on something make it a time where there cannot be any interruptions.
Communicate across less channels:I communicate with most of my contacts through WhatsApp and this helps me as I find everybody in one place. I am not searching across multiple channels to find people. It saves me a lot of time and I find it more efficient.
Turn Off notifications: I have turned off all the notifications on my devices as this helps me focus on the task at hand. Perhaps you can just have them on for one important channel.
Schedule in that important “down time”: Make sure you unplug and get some rest otherwise it is very hard to be productive.