A technology hack turned habit
You might be thinking that I am going to describe a tumultuous relationship with my situationship or having arguments with my parents. Those connections are the least of my worries and honestly keep me sane in my crazy life. I think everyone has a differing view on their relationship with what I deem to be my most complicated in life.
I, like most people in this day and age, use technology during the majority of my day. I use my phone in my free time for whatever reason so it is constantly either in my hand or in my view. I consistently notice the notifications taking my attention away from what I am doing at that moment. It can completely derail my motivation and progress on the task I am completing.
I found out about Do Not Disturb later than most people. I never really saw a need or want to make it a habit of mine. I had seen posts about it on social media but never took it seriously enough to try and use it. It wasn’t until I noticed that my daily screen time was more than seven hours, and the notifications would take time away from when I was with my family members and friends, that I knew I had to make a change with my dependence on my phone flashing up from a notification.
I started using Do Not Disturb when I wanted to focus for short periods of time and it quickly turned into my default setting. In the beginning, I was definitely guilty of swiping up every two minutes to see what notifications I had. Slowly, I was able to not check my phone for longer time periods. I love not being overwhelmed by the countless notifications that pop up on my screen and getting a recap of what I missed in the morning when I wake up.
I think of this as a positive habit that I have adopted into my everyday routine, even though it can sometimes become addicting to leave it on. One way that I minimize any possible negatives that could arise from using DND is letting my close family and friends know that they can send the messages through it if they need to contact me immediately so I do not miss any urgent messages.Â
This habit has made an immense positive impact on my work ethic for homework and spending time with those around me. I am able to work for longer periods of time without checking my screens. I can confidently say I do not miss any important moments when passing time with people close to me because I am captivated by a follow request or a Snapchat from someone I barely know.Â
By just clicking on one button, I was able to change not only my dependency on my technology, but I have seen benefits in other areas of my life. It is a simple thing that can be challenging at first but, with a little bit of discipline, it can be one of the best decisions. Turning on Do Not Disturb has encouraged me to live more in the moment and experience it, rather than turn to my phone when I see that screen light up.