Reducing Digital Distractions

Probably the simplest most-effective way to improve productivity is to reduce your work in progress (things you work on simultaneously) to 1. Think about a situation where you must work with a "platform team." Your team is bopping along until it comes across something it needs to do that the platform can't handle. It then stops work and hands off to the platform team. Rather than being idle while it waits, the first team now starts working on a second thing until it needs a database change, which it hands off to the database team. Not wanting to be idle, it starts working on a third thing. Weinberg points out that every "thing" you work on reduces productivity by about 20%. So, if you have three 5-day tasks. Working on two of them at once adds 20% to each task, so it will take 12 days to do 10 days of work. Add a third task and we're adding 2 days to each task, so it now will take 21 days to do 15 days of work. This isn't even considering what happens if the other team gets it wrong and you need to resubmit the request or the fact that it now takes up to four times longer (21 days rather than 5) to get something useful into your customer's hands. So, to work on only one thing at a time, we need to eliminate the dependencies. Our single product team needs to be able to make platform and database changes (safe ones, at least, to avoid collisions with other teams). They need to align with the other teams when they make those changes so that they don't break anything, but I find that an occasional chapter/guild meeting to deal with consistency issues takes way less time than the time you lose to WIP>1.

Your phone is a threat to your brain. At least, your brain sees it that way. With all the notifications and constant pinging/tagging/DM’ing/emailing, your brain treats these technological interruptions as threats. Every notification, every loading screen, every "spinning wheel of death" on a webpage triggers your brain’s fight-or-flight response. With the average office worker checking their email up to every 6 minutes, that's 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆. And that’s just with your phone. Take in the commute, office politics, and other potential areas of stress, it’s no wonder you can’t seem to relax! The solution is a bit of tough-love, but I need to share it with you: create "notification-free zones." • Turn off all non-essential notifications after working hours • Use "focus mode" during deep work to keep notifications to a bare minimum • Check messages at designated times only • Have a “burner phone” that you use at home and on the weekend which does not have additional apps on it. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀: No notifications for the first hour after waking. Your brain deserves a calm start. (Even just start with 30-minutes if an hour is too much to consider at first.) Your attention is your most valuable asset. How are you protecting it? #DigitalWellness #Neuroscience #Productivity #Attention

Burnout sneaks up on you. 🔥 It's feeling the physical and mental toll of being "on" constantly. Sound familiar?  The burden of that work on an endless cycle is enough to wear anyone down, and 47% of creators experienced burnout in the last year according to the 2023 State of the Creator Economy Report from ConvertKit.  It's the pressure to be everywhere, content fatigue, unhealthy comparisons, and the inability to switch off.  Here’s 3 tips to help conquer that burnout: 🟣 Set Boundaries:  Motherhood taught me the value of presence. Baby Ava's arrival shifted my focus from being online all the time to cherishing real-life moments. It’s about quality content, not just quantity.  🟣 Be Selective:  Post-Ava, my content strategy had a bit of a makeover. I ditched the pressure to be “on”, all the time, and found a way to stay ahead of my content planning by delegating and having a less stringent schedule.  🟣 Embrace Breaks:  Flexibility IS a creator's perk! I've learned to treasure offline time as sacred, recharging breaks. It’s essential for my creativity and sanity.  Remember, social media is a tool, not the master. How you use it can either fuel your creativity or drain it.   Post-baby, my perspective has shifted. I prioritize rest, genuine connections, and the joy of creating over the constant churn of content. Because at the end of the day, it's not just about what you create, but how you live through the process.  Let's redefine success on our terms. How do you handle burnout? 💜  #mentalhealth #contentcreation #creatoreconomy #motherhood #entrepreneur 

The most ignored skill in modern work: Taking vacation without guilt. Most people think the enemy is technology. It isn’t. It’s your mindset. We check email on holiday to feel “in control”. But all it really does? ❌ Keeps you locked in work mode. ❌ Blocks real recovery. ❌ Accelerates burnout. High performers know the truth: – Time off isn’t a reward. – It’s a performance skill. And skills need systems – not willpower – to work. 7 ways to outsmart yourself before you hit the beach: ✅ 1. Handover, not a hand grenade Leave clarity behind, not chaos. Give updates + list the decisions others can make without you. ✅ 2. Nominate a “holiday blocker” One trusted person filters “urgent” vs. “ignore until later.” ✅ 3. OOO = a closed door Short. Clear. No “checking periodically”. Set the tone: you’re offline. ✅ 4. Move the email app Bury it. Delete it. Make logging in annoying. Friction is your friend. (👉 If you’ve ever ruined a holiday refreshing your inbox, this post is for you. Repost it so more leaders normalise real time off.) ✅ 5. Book a re-entry day Smart people don’t fly straight into meetings. Block one no-meeting “catch-up day” ✅ 6. Kill the red dots Unread counts are addictive triggers. Remove them entirely. ✅ 7. Set team expectations “I’ll be offline. If you need me, text me. But I don’t expect you to need me.” 🔥 Here’s the truth no one talks about: Vacation isn’t 'time off'. It’s actually part of the job. ♻️ Repost to normalise guilt-free vacations. 💬 What’s YOUR #1 trick for truly switching off? ⭐️ Follow me (Mostyn Wilson) to be more fulfilled at work.

Are you addicted to likes? Are you endless scrolling through your LinkedIn feed? Do you feel your stomach in knots the first 30 minutes after you press post? Do you question yourself: will this post spark a conversation, be ignored or will this land me in LinkedIn jail? Balancing the Scale: Social Media’s Allure and the Quest for Authentic Engagement Being active on social media can be a double-edged sword. The addiction to ‘likes’ and the stress of constant content creation present can be challenging. I’ve been there. Here’s what I’ve done to get past this. 1. Recognize the ‘Like’ Addiction: We often equate the success of our content with likes and shares, but this can distort our authentic voice. Remember, true value lies in genuine engagement, not just in numbers. 2. Schedule and Limit Engagement: Allocate specific times for social media interaction to avoid being consumed by it. This helps in maintaining focus on our real-world tasks and responsibilities. 3. Curate Your Feed: Follow and engage with individuals and groups that inspire and add value. A cluttered feed can lead to information overload and stress. 4. Embrace the Long Game on LinkedIn: Building meaningful connections and sharing insightful content consistently are more beneficial in the long term than chasing instant gratification. 5. Set Realistic Social Media Goals: Define what you aim to achieve through your presence on platforms like LinkedIn. Measure success not just by immediate engagement, but by the quality of connections and conversations you inspire. 6. Take Regular Breaks: Stepping away from social media is vital for mental health. Regular breaks can refresh your perspective and enhance creativity. I take a day off a week. 7. Stay True to Your Story: In the world of content creation, authenticity is key. Share stories and insights that are genuinely yours, resonating more with your audience and feeling less burdensome to create. Navigating social media’s highs and lows is part of our professional journey. How do you manage the balance between seeking engagement and maintaining authenticity? Share your strategies and experiences. P.S. Have you ever taken a step back to reassess your social media strategy? What insights did you gain? #whatsyourstory #storytelling #socialmediastrategy #wellbeing #mentalhealth

I’m a content creator. And yet, if I realise a social media app is eating into my productivity… I uninstall it in under a minute. People are often surprised when I say this. “But you create content for a living! How can you uninstall an app?” Exactly. That’s the point. Being a creator doesn’t mean being addicted to apps. It means controlling your time, energy, and focus. Here’s what actually works for me — and can work for you too: 1. Track your usage first Spend 3–5 days noting how much time you spend on apps. Seeing 2–3 hours vanish in random scrolling often makes the decision obvious. 2. Give every app a purpose Each app should serve a clear goal: learning, creating, networking. If it doesn’t, remove it. Ask yourself: “Is this helping me grow or just consuming me?” 3. Replace, don’t just remove Instead of scrolling out of habit, redirect that time to something meaningful: jot down ideas, read, practice a skill. Your brain still gets stimulation — but productive stimulation. 4. Schedule deep-focus blocks Block 90–120 minutes daily without your phone. Most of my best ideas happen here, not while scrolling. 5. Use micro-decisions to build discipline Deleting one app might feel small, but repeated conscious decisions train your mind to value focus over distraction. These micro-decisions compound over time. 6. Reflect weekly Ask yourself: “Which apps or habits helped me grow? Which distracted me?” This keeps your digital space curated and your attention sharp. The lesson? Productivity isn’t about being on every platform. It’s about consciously choosing what serves your goals — and ruthlessly letting go of what doesn’t. So today, ask yourself: Which apps, habits, or routines are quietly stealing your time? And what one micro-decision will you make to reclaim it?

Beyond the Crunch: Navigating Pressure, Stress, and the Race Against Time 🤯 A month ago, I was invited by the Yale School of Public Health to share in a class my strategies for managing the pressures and stresses associated with being an advisor and/or manager behind prominent #SocialMedia accounts. This opportunity spurred me to reflect on my personal coping mechanisms for navigating this demanding field. 1. Passion as Fuel: Above all else, you need to genuinely love your work. The time and energy invested in meeting the demands of social media audiences are not worth it if you're not genuinely engaged. Your health will ultimately bear the brunt. 2. Crunch Time Efficiency: In my line of work, I often deal with humanitarian crises and health emergencies. When crunch time arrives, it's time to roll up your sleeves and focus. Avoid distractions and limit the endless scrolling that can derail your productivity. Consider muting chatting apps to prevent interruptions from notifications and incoming requests. 3. Collaboration in Success and Failure: Social media posts behind large accounts rarely result from individual effort. They are a collective endeavor. Success is shared among all those who contributed, just as failure is shared. While taking accountability for your work is crucial, it's equally important to learn from setbacks without succumbing to guilt. Embrace the opportunity to grow and improve. 4. Protecting Your Mental Well-being: As a social media manager, you face an onslaught of trolls and negativity. Learn to gauge your tolerance for this and limit your exposure. Consider rotating the responsibility of monitoring comments and social media conversations among team members. On your personal accounts, you may choose to mute certain accounts or individuals. Your mental health must be prioritized. 5. Disconnection for Rejuvenation: The ever-evolving algorithms and relentless pace of social media demand balance. Make time for yourself to relax, recharge, and pursue activities that bring you joy. Don't feel guilty about disconnecting from the digital world. I'm not perfect in this regard, but I'm working on improving my disconnect strategies. 6. Seeking Support: Sharing your struggles is a powerful tool for coping. Reach out to trusted peers when you need support or to simply vent. If the stress and pressure of your work, particularly in humanitarian crisis situations, become overwhelming, consider seeking professional help. I utilize both peer support and professional counselling , depending on the challenges I face. What are your winning strategies for navigating social media's hurdles and building an unstoppable online presence?

🔇 Too much buzz? 🔇 What a hyper-connected world we live in! And what endless streams of information. From the constant buzz of social media channels to the pace of work-related communications, the floodgates are wide open. This continuous flow not only challenges our capacity to stay informed but also sparks a profound sense of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Do you feel guilty? I do! But here's my gentle reminder: It's okay not to catch every wave of information. So maybe this will help you: 👉 Prioritize what truly matters to you Begin by identifying what's genuinely relevant to your personal and professional growth. Not every trend or discussion will significantly impact your journey. Focus on content that aligns with your values, goals, and aspirations. 👉 Choose your mentors wisely Follow thought leaders and organizations that inspire you and contribute positively to your field of interest. Quality over quantity ensures that your feed enriches, not overwhelms, your mind. 👉 Embrace selective ignorance The concept of selective ignorance is not about being uninformed but about consciously choosing what to ignore. Allow yourself the freedom to skip content that doesn't serve you, enabling more room for what truly enlightens and energizes you. 👉 Manage your time, manage your mind Set boundaries around your information consumption. Dedicate specific times for checking updates and engaging with content. This practice helps me in reducing anxiety and increasing productivity. 👉 Reflect and unplug Regularly take time to disconnect and reflect. This not only aids in consolidating your thoughts but also in appreciating the world beyond screens. Moments of quiet and reflection are precious, allowing us to reconnect with our core selves. I get better and better with this because I see how it helps me although I am a high-performer. Remember, it takes courage to step back and embrace what truly enriches us. The wisdom lies not in absorbing every piece of information out there but in discerning what makes us more informed, engaged, and balanced individuals. Let me know what you do in order not to get flooded with information and how you find your balance? I am finding my balance flying to Mexico today to spent time with my family. No time for buzz as I prioritize myself the next weeks relaxing and unwinding from a crazy 2024 start. 🙋♀️ #InformationOverload #Mindfulness #FOMO #DigitalWellbeing

A study more people should know about: Simple “nudges” to reduce smartphone use improve wellbeing. 📚 The study: Olson et al. (2022), “A Nudge-Based Intervention to Reduce Problematic Smartphone Use: Randomised Controlled Trial” (published in The International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction) 🧪 What they did: The researchers randomly split two groups. One group was told to use their smartphones as usual. The other group was encouraged to use these simple strategies for 2-6 weeks:  1) Notifications. Disable non-essential notifications (sounds, banners, and vibration). 2) Accessibility. Keep your phone on silent (vibrate off), face down, out of sight, and out of reach when not in use throughout the day. 3) Unlocking. Disable Touch ID/Face ID (i.e. the fingerprint/face scanner to unlock your phone); use a password instead. 4) Sleep. Keep your phone on silent (vibrate off) and out of reach when going to bed (e.g. on the opposite side of the room). 5) Display. Turn down your phone’s brightness, set it to greyscale (black and white), and change the colour warmth to filter out blue light (i.e., turn on the “night shift” feature). 6) Social media. Hide social media and email apps (e.g. Instagram, SnapChat, Facebook, Gmail, Outlook) in a folder off of the home screen (or even delete them). 7) Computers. If you can do the task on a computer, try to keep it on the computer (e.g. social media, web search, or e-mail). 8) Relationships. Let your family, friends, or colleagues know that you will be replying less often unless they call you directly. 9)  Presence. Leave your phone at home when you do not need it (e.g. when getting groceries or going to the gym). 📈 The result: Among the group that used these strategies, the researchers saw: → Reduction in problematic smartphone use and screen time  → Reduction in depressive symptoms  → Improved sleep quality TL;DR The basic stuff works. Implement these basic strategies to hack back your phone. If you enjoyed this, download my 1-page playbook on how to build your Indistractable Phone: https://lnkd.in/ehvdikW9

If you're feeling stressed, bombarded and drowning in digital information. Here’s what you can do.👇🏻 If, like me, every single day you are getting a steady relentless stream of notifications your different devices - emails from work and personal email inboxes, IMs, DMs from iMessage, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, publications, newsletters…. You’re overwhelmed already. You want to, need to be focused but you're scattered. How do you: - Prioritise and keep on top of it all? - Not miss anything? - Reply to everything? - Do the rest of your job with focus, productively? - Not be overwhelmed? - Have anxiety-free sleep? This is the vicious cycle you’re feeling: 1. Deluge: You have overwhelm over the volume of information, the number of unsorted emails, messages, notifications, etc. your getting. 2. Fractured Focus: Your attention jumps between tasks, you’re unable to fully engage or concentrate on any one thing, you’re context-shifting. 3. Paralysis: Information overload leads to rising cortisol levels, inaction, procrastination. 4. Frazzled: Your anxiety rises as your attention span shrinks, your senses are narrowing. 5. Superficial Responses: Meaningful, thoughtful replies go out the window, and your decision-making compromises. 6. Drowning: You slow down even further as more demands pile up while your focus crumbles further, stress levels are rising. And the cycle starts all over again. Relentless information overload isn't just annoying - it's making us dumber, unproductive and stressed. It doesn’t respect the 9am – 6pm. You’re not alone either, the average person consumes three times more information now than they did 50 years ago. (Source: The Information Overload Research Group). 🖐🏻 But it doesn’t have to be like this. You can stop this Information Overload Cycle right now. ✅ Prioritise Ruthlessly: Focus on high-impact tasks, filter out the rest. ✅ Batch and Schedule: Dedicate specific times for email, social media, etc. ✅ Unsubscribe and Filter: Delete useless information sources, set email filters. ✅ Focus First: Timebox tasks, eliminate distractions, minimise context-switching. ✅ Offline Recharge: Schedule regular breaks, disconnect to refocus. ✅ Prioritise Selfcare: Embrace relaxation to manage stress and get good quality sleep. Remember, you're not alone and you’re not a machine. You can take back control and focus from the 24/7 bombardment of your devices! Tell me, how do you manage information overload? Please share your tips in the comments.