Short attention spans have become the norm for modern-day living. One of the biggest culprits behind our inability to concentrate is the flood of push notifications. Employers might be quick to point fingers at smartphones, but notifications from emails and work apps can be just as distracting. They compel workers to continuously break off tasks to focus on something else or to multitask. Consequently, better notification management is crucial to restoring work-life balance — but how?
Most modern devices have a do-not-disturb mode that allows you to turn off notifications. When you have a preset work schedule, it becomes easier to automatically turn notifications off at certain times of the day or week.
The specific method for turning off notifications on your smartphone or tablet will depend on your device and operating system. You can usually find these easily in the settings or look for a quick tutorial on YouTube. The notifications on your desktop can also become a common source of distraction. These will come from three sources: the system, apps and websites.
Microsoft allows you to turn off desktop notifications in its settings. You can also customize how you receive notifications, such as whether they display on lock screens and whether they make a sound. Microsoft also allows you to modify notifications for email and browsers.
If you use a third-party browser, it might continue to force through push notifications during use due to permissions you may have enabled. Check your browser settings to determine which websites you may have deliberately or accidentally permitted to provide notifications and then disable them.
How focus assist manifests will depend on the device, the operating system and whether you use a third-party app. Within the Microsoft ecosystem, focus assist makes it easy to determine when and why you receive notifications and even alarms. For example, you could turn off notifications after 6 p.m. or when duplicating your display. It will even limit who can call you and why.
While focus assist is similar to do-not-disturb apps on smartphones, there are focus assist apps for smart devices that take things a step further. Instead of just turning off notifications, these apps further modify how you experience the operating system by creating a barebones experience where only work matters.
Some will remove many of your fun apps from the main screen until you turn focus mode off. Others hide taskbars from Chromebooks and Macs. Settings like these can significantly reduce the temptation to check messages, get on social media or multitask.
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Modifying notifications is relatively easy on personal devices. However, some work devices could limit changes to the admin settings. As long as they are on and you are actively using them, you could continue to get notifications. Sometimes you will receive a warning, or it will seem to have changed but then reverts to pushing through notifications.
If you experience this, you will need to reach out to the IT department. Sometimes, this can be resolved remotely. In other instances, the team might insist on resolving the issue in person, so plan accordingly. You might also run into bureaucratic red tape regarding what a company considers admin settings and admin changes, so prepare for some pushback.
Sometimes, you become distracted at work because you are actively seeking a distraction. This commonly happens when you experience high levels of burnout and would rather be doing anything but your job. The best way to tackle this is to focus more closely on your work-life balance.
Microsoft recently updated the Viva platform to facilitate self-care and improve mindfulness. The app conducts wellness checks throughout the day, so you can take healthy breaks and refresh your mind. It even provides a virtual commute for wrapping up workdays in a way that relieves stress and closes the chapter until the next work session.
Businesses need to migrate to the cloud to gain full access to the many apps available via Microsoft, Apple and Android for ensuring mindfulness at work and helping their employees achieve a healthy work-life balance. At Cloudficient, we help businesses leverage cloud computing through a quick and easy migration experience. Get started today with a quote.
With unmatched next generation migration technology, Cloudficient is revolutionizing the way businesses retire legacy systems and transform their organization into the cloud. Our business constantly remains focused on client needs and creating product offerings that match them. We provide affordable services that are scalable, fast and seamless.
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