You all have some feelings! Last week I asked you to notice how your phone makes you feel. I got responses talking about frustration, excitement, fear, anger, joy, isolation, connection… and that was all one person! Seriously, over a hundred folks answered and just about every possible experience was represented.
Overall? We have complicated relationships with our phones. But there is one thing that the majority of people want:
To use our phones, rather than feel used by them.
So today I have ONE suggestion for you, and three different ways to make it happen.
Take control of your notifications.
- On your own phone: 1. Open up “Settings.” 2. Go to “Notifications.” 3. Choose which apps can poke (notify) you and which will have to wait until you open them on your own time and check them.
That’s for you.
- On your family member’s phone: Talk to your child or your parent or your sibling – whomever it is who is stressed by their phone pinging or beeping or buzzing at them – and encourage them to decide what is allowed to demand their attention and what isn’t worthy of that power.
That’s for you, too, but also for them.
- The next time you meet with your team: Ask them how they want to be contacted – let each person or department decide on a PCM (Preferred Contact Method) and then suggest they TURN OFF other notifications. This means if they decide to communicate through Slack, they can turn off email push notifications (don’t worry, they will still check their email), and Teams Messaging and Instagram DMs, etc, etc.
That’s for them, but also for you.
Intentionally choose the apps that can demand your attention. Build tech resilience.
What will you turn off? Comment and let me know!
All my best,
Dr. G
