|
@deliberatecoder | |||||
|
Unbundle Hangouts from Gmail
By default, Gmail shows Hangouts messages in your Gmail. You can better manage interruptions if you keep these apps separate. Fortunately this is as simple as changing your Gmail settings to disable chat. pic.twitter.com/wZUYuMIob4
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
Until a few years ago, I checked email, texts, and social media 5-10x/hour.
Over the past few years, I got my digital life under control and have more focus for work and feel more present in social situations. Here are the techniques I used:
mtlynch.io/eliminate-dist…
|
||
|
|
||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
Decide what you want from social media
You use social media because you enjoy some of it, but there are parts that are unpleasant or time sucks. Decide what benefits you get from each app and what you have to invest to get it
|
||
|
|
||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
Make Twitter's trending hashtags boring
Twitter shows you trending hashtags to seduce you into spending more time in the app. You can prevent this by changing your Trends locale to a city whose language you can't read and whose news you don't follow. pic.twitter.com/PRsc1Db4y8
|
||
|
|
||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
Mute, block, and unfollow your way to a tidy Twitter feed
Is your feed becoming too negative or filling with content that distracts you? Review your follow list to eliminate accounts that deliver too much noise. Use muted words to filter unproductive topics. pic.twitter.com/av7NWkNZGN
|
||
|
|
||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
Ignore "hot questions" on StackOverflow
StackOverflow holds the solution to many a programming roadblock, but they use distracting sidebars to seduce you into spending more time on their platform. Hide those sidebars with @ublockorigin's element picker. pic.twitter.com/WCzoSDhxkM
|
||
|
|
||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
Hide your Gmail inbox
Sometimes critical information is buried in an old email, but you don't want any *new* emails to distract you. @InboxWhenReady lets you use all of Gmail's functionality but hides your new emails until you choose to see them. pic.twitter.com/tfd9xk3UKP
|
||
|
|
||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
Move your to-do list out of your inbox
It *seems* convenient to use your inbox to manage your tasks, but it's a terrible solution. It's distracting to see new emails any time you check your tasks. Instead, use a dedicated To-Do list app to track emails that require action. pic.twitter.com/2Azt9s11GW
|
||
|
|
||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
Use social media with a dedicated browser profile
Discourage yourself from drifting into social media by putting small obstacles in your path. Log out of Facebook/Twitter/Instagram in your main browser, and only visit in a separate, dedicated browser profile. pic.twitter.com/pMhHZhJyi6
|
||
|
|
||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
Set your phone to “Do Not Disturb” forever
Do you really need app notifications on your phone? If you want to check your texts, check your texts. You don't need 7 apps begging for your attention every time you take out your phone. pic.twitter.com/2723DwPd4a
|
||
|
|
||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
Replace texts with phone calls
Text conversations are often horribly inefficient and distracting. They require you to check your phone every few minutes to get small bits of information. Phone calls are a richer and more efficient alternative
|
||
|
|
||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
Replace online communities with real-life meetups
If you're interested in networking with others in your field, you get the best bang for your buck at in-person meetups. The connections I've make at meetups and conferences are almost always deeper and longer-lasting than online. pic.twitter.com/KZR4Xsvz0G
|
||
|
|
||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
Schedule time for email, texts, and social media
This forces you to decide ahead of time how much real estate in your day to grant to your apps. It's harder to overindulge in social media if you have explicit start and end times.
|
||
|
|
||
|
Michael Lynch
@deliberatecoder
|
11. stu |
|
If you backslide, start over
Some days, you'll find yourself regressing, checking email + social media beyond your limits. Instead of beating yourself up about it, resign yourself to the bad day and start fresh tomorrow. Reflect on your bad days and try to address the root cause
|
||
|
|
||