[surprisetalk]

In 2022 I dramatically reduced my time in THE SMARTPHONE ABYSS by choosing a single spot in my home and always leaving my phone there to charge. I don't bring my phone into other rooms -- it stays on the kitchen counter.

But my "phone home" didn't help the compulsive notification checking, so I "extinguished" all notifications. The only notifs I now receive are for phone calls.

In 2023, I'd like to go on phoneless adventures! A cellular Apple Watch (or whatever) makes it relatively safe to go places without a SMARTPHONE ABYSS in your pocket.

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[1] https://taylor.town/phone-home

[2] https://taylor.town/extinguish-all-notifications

[3] https://taylor.town/leave-your-phone-at-home

[hackernewds]

It's been researched that not seeing notifications makes one more anxious and likely to check phone more often. Instead I've found using an app like Daywise to batch my notifications that don't need real-time attention every 2 hours (package delivered, bill is due) and still keep messaging notifications real-time.

[surprisetalk]

Thanks! I'll check out that research.

And yeah, having NO plan for notifications sounds like a bad idea.

I've made a habit of checking my emails/texts once per day and checking Slack every 60-90 minutes. I think Apple products also have a way to aggregate notifs during focus modes.