“Altering my environment…”

 Shared by Breanne Smedley

“Altering my environment…”

About a year ago, I disabled all notifications on my phone.

Aside from texts and phone calls from specific people, my phone stays in a “do not disturb” mode for most of the day.

I had come to the point where I was tired of “quickly check my email”, then finding myself mindlessly scrolling Instagram 10 minutes later.

I had become a slave to my phone.

Every notification, every tiny red dot, deserved my attention.

Regardless of what I was doing, I felt the need to check whatever notification popped up.

I became neurotic about clearing the red notification dots from every app.

Which meant I had to open the app. Leading me into a rabbit hole of email, Facebook, or Instagram.

I hate that tiny red dot.

I read an article recently titled: “How to configure your iPhone to work for you, not against you.”

In it, the author outlined 45 specific and detailed ways to increase productivity, focus, and longevity.

Turns out those tiny red dots are actually anxiety causing. Causing us to think there’s something important going on in the app while simultaneously impacting our health and life expectancy.

It’s literally a tiny red dot of death.

I followed the author’s advice to a T.

My phone is a completely different tool for me now.

It works for me, not against me to pull me out of flow, waste my time, and cause anxiety.

I check my apps, email, and texts during specific times of the day. Not dictated by a notification.

I’m intentional about when and how I use my phone.

It’s a simple, but life-changing way in which I’ve altered by the environment to reduce my chances of sabotaging my time and productivity.

To give me more time with my family. More time to do what I love.

Our attention and where we spend it is one of the most important indicators of our success in every area of our lives.

And the fight for our attention is everywhere.

To who, or what am I giving my attention to the most?

I’m fighting to make sure it’s not the tiny red dot of death.

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#MindfullyEvolving

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