Distraction Control
7 min read
Most notifications should be off. Here's which ones earn the right to interrupt you.
Interested in this chapter?
Get the Setup Kit and unlock the remaining chapters and wizard export.
You can have the fastest shortcuts, the cleanest file system, and the most organized Dropbox in the world. None of it matters if your computer pings you every thirty seconds.
Notifications are the enemy of speed—not because every one is useless, but because too many are low-value. Gloria Mark’s UC Irvine work is often summarized as 23 minutes and 15 seconds to return to work after an interruption. The original study observed a small group of information workers and intervening tasks, so treat that number as a warning label, not a per-notification law.
The exact cost varies with the task, interruption, and person.
What this chapter covers
- Notifications: why most should be off
- Focus modes and Do Not Disturb
- Notification triage: what actually deserves your attention
- Browser distractions need friction
- Your menu bar is a junk drawer