It all started after the breakup. I was still in contact with my ex, and his daily texts and calls had the power to turn my day around. Just silencing my phone wasn’t enough — so I hit the moon icon on my iPhone, set my phone to Do Not Disturb, and rediscovered peace in my life.
I’ve stuck with this feature for the past few years, and it’s forever changed the way I interact with my phone. It opened up a world without the constant stream of notifications — a world where I didn’t have to give others perpetual access to my time and energy. I realized that before using DND, screen time replaced my downtime.
I now set it to automatically turn on during business hours, 8am to 6pm, and manually enable it at other times when I want to be extra present. Considering the average American checks their phone 144 times a day—that’s 4 hours and 25 minutes of screen time—it’s a practice that could help others feel less stressed about their phones, too.
Here are the top five ways turning off notifications has benefited my life, as well as some tips on how to make DND work for your lifestyle.
Advantages of the Do Not Disturb method
It increases my productivity and helps me work better.
Even when I wasn’t interacting with them, the notifications kept interrupting me, interrupting my workflow. And I’m not alone: A study conducted by the University of California, Irvine found that it takes a person an average of 23 minutes to regain the same level of focus after an interruption. Now that I’m using DND, projects that used to take me hours to complete take me half the time. In addition, I have noticed that I generally perform better; my ability to stay focused on a single task helps me achieve a state of flow that makes me more creative and a better problem solver.
I turn on Do Not Disturb when I’m doing self-care, journaling, spending quality time with loved ones, or just participating in whatever brings me joy. Meditation used to be almost impossible, but now I’m really able to quiet my mind. I am more in tune with myself and more connected to my writing. Even watching movies has become a more exciting experience.
dr. Lindsay Haston, a psychologist in Pennsylvania, says she often recommends Do Not Disturb to her clients. “Attention is key to living in the present. Removing your phone as a distraction makes you more involved with your feelings and your surroundings, giving you more control over your experiences,” she explains. “You gain a higher state of self-awareness because you give your thoughts the attention they deserve.”
I feel less stressed all the time.
According to a 2017 study by the American Psychological Association, checking your smartphone is associated with significant stress, with “constant checkers” experiencing higher levels. Turning off notifications helped me feel less anxious and gave me a sense of clarity and calmness by ridding the day of external noise and anxiety triggers. Now that checking my phone is a deliberate choice, I feel less burdened by external pressures and influences.
I have better boundaries.
One of the best parts of turning on DND is that others can see when your notifications are muted. It’s a great way to let people know that I don’t have the capacity to respond right now without having to explain myself. “Smartphones make us feel like we owe people constant access to our attention, time and energy,” says Haston. “Putting our phone on DND eliminates that sense of obligation and urgency, helping us set healthy boundaries with ourselves and others.”
I sleep much more soundly.
Since using this setting every night, I’ve noticed that I fall asleep faster, rarely wake up during the night, and have much more energy during the day. When all I did was turn off my phone, I still felt compelled to check it—especially if I saw it light up or woke up in the middle of the night. Haston says she highlights these benefits to clients who suffer from poor sleep hygiene, and for best results, the Sleep Foundation suggests getting off your phone (and turning on DND) at least 30 minutes before bed.
Tips for effective use Do not disturb
Use the “Emergency Bypass” function.
For people who have kids or are worried about being completely disconnected, there’s a way to make sure you don’t miss important calls. You can enable exceptions to make sure you still receive calls from your favorite contacts, or if someone calls repeatedly, you can enable permission for them to get through in case of an emergency. And if someone sends you a message, they’ll have the option to click “Notify Anyway” if they need you.
Turn it on on all devices.
If you receive messages on your computer, you can make the most of DND by turning it on on all devices. I use this setup to completely eliminate distractions and anxiety triggers, but do what’s best for you.
Communicate your DND boundaries with others.
Let your friends or family know that they shouldn’t try to contact you unless it’s important when your notifications are turned off. Tell your boss and colleagues that it will be easier to get on Slack (or any other medium) if you schedule DND during work hours. Your team will understand that you strive to do better.
Put the phone in another room.
Sometimes it’s hard to completely ignore your smartphone, even with DND. Some days I was tempted to grab it for a little scrolling. At that time I put my phone in the drawer.
Customize your DND with focus functions.
There are endless ways to customize DND to suit your needs. Focus filters on Apple let you do things like receive certain notifications from certain apps. For example, setting the focus to work will only allow notifications from your boss, colleagues, and apps you use for work. It’s a great tool for those with busy work schedules who can’t switch off completely.
Set specific times to check notifications.
What has worked best for me is to set specific times to check my phone, like during my lunch break or after a meeting before I go back to work. You may find it easier to check your phone at certain times of the day — especially if you’re prone to worry or FOMO away from it. Do whatever works best for you.