Reading this, I realize that I am in the process of second screening myself. Who are you second screening right now?
Not who, but what: work.
Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
141–150 of 226 posts
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#142marketing article to promote their app, looks like a spam to me
That's 90% of the submissions here. Last time I said that I was scolded because "This was precisely the objective of this site"
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#143I'm constantly amazed at how the mainstream population uses phones. Most people tend to have phone with alarming-notifications, so they get informed that they have a message, or email or whatever. The phone interrupts them and directs their attention. They train themselves to be controlled by their phones. I'd go crazy trying to live like that. I have no audible notifications, and vibration only for actual calls. Eve…
It's not the phones people are overwhelmingly interacting with.
Unless you're watching someone bored in public transport reading the news on the phone or something, phones are just the mean, not the end.
There are people at the other end - colleagues, friends, loved ones. They are talking to each other, sharing experiences, having fun, being in love, agreeing on what's for dinner, planning, coordinating, organizing, updating, ... and a lot more other, maybe banal things.
At least for me, friend is a friend, loved one is a loved one, and it doesn't matter if we communicate via text, photo of a cool thing one of us just saw or in person, I'm going to be happy to hear from them.
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#144> Cal Newport said it best in his book Deep Work: the ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive. The people who cultivate that skill, stay up late at night while everyone is asleep so they don’t get distracted. T…
Why is getting up early not considered?
I can stay up working as late as I'd like - when I'm done with my deep focus is entirely up to me. When I get into the office early the end of my deep focus is entirely out of my control. It ends when my coworkers decide to come in and start bothering me.
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#145> Cal Newport said it best in his book Deep Work: the ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive. The people who cultivate that skill, stay up late at night while everyone is asleep so they don’t get distracted. T…
Brilliantly true.
I've found that it is possible to do during the day, but you kind of have to put your phone away, and also clamp down on browser.
HN is unfortunately a distraction!
Make yourself 'feel' like it's a Monday or Friday Holiday, where nobody is in the office, so they can't bother you, but it's not a 'weekend' either. Those days are productive.
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#146I'm constantly amazed at how the mainstream population uses phones. Most people tend to have phone with alarming-notifications, so they get informed that they have a message, or email or whatever. The phone interrupts them and directs their attention. They train themselves to be controlled by their phones. I'd go crazy trying to live like that. I have no audible notifications, and vibration only for actual calls. Eve…
Glad to see there are other people like me, who use a phone like "receiving a letter" - no interruptions, just checking it occasionally when I'm not busy.
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Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#147I'm constantly amazed at how the mainstream population uses phones. Most people tend to have phone with alarming-notifications, so they get informed that they have a message, or email or whatever. The phone interrupts them and directs their attention. They train themselves to be controlled by their phones. I'd go crazy trying to live like that. I have no audible notifications, and vibration only for actual calls. Eve…
I have to admit, just yesterday I changed my phone notifications to audibly (sound or vibration) notify me only for calls of any kind. Signal still gets a silent notification with no details but every other app, including email, doesn't really deserve my immediate attention. Will that piss some people off? I doubt it but maybe. Will I spend less time on my phone, for sure!
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#148I've had this problem for years, outside of the phone factor. For this very reason, as others have said, I keep my phone on so not disturb 24/7 except if my wife calls.
However, open offices drive me nuts because of the mere threat of a potential interrupt, even if in practice it may happen only once or twice a day.
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
My personal experience is that the notion "I will go in early today and leave at an appropriately early time," fails to work out as planned 90-95% of the time. But I really can only blame myself for this.
Pre corona I was arriving at 7~ and leaving at 15. You can definitely do it.
You have the discipline to use the 24 hour nomenclature all the time. I applaud you! I had to read this twice, and loved it so much I had to comment
Re: Phones and apps reduce your ability to focus even when they don’t distract you
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
I did exactly this early in my career: Stayed up late, got work done outside of business hours, suffered the consequences. Later I started being more assertive about my time. Meeting request in the middle of my core work hours? Decline as busy, suggest to move it to a lunch meeting or offer to call the person after working hours (Everyone chooses lunch meeting instead of after hours). People tapping me on the shoulde…
You became more assertive of your time by giving up lunch and off hours?
No, I enjoy having lunch with my coworkers. Good way to catch up without as much wasted time as a meeting.
If you prefer to eat lunch alone, adjust accordingly. I was providing loose guidance, not a strict prescription.