Landlines were great, right? I haven’t had one for over a decade, but if I did, I would only use that number for my husband and me so that we could turn our mobile phones completely off when the other person is away, out late, or traveling and know they could still get to us in case of an emergency. Sometimes do not disturb mode doesn't seem enough.
Back in the day, one of the major advantages of a smartphone over a landline was that it was essentially free of sales and spam calls. Times have changed. If I didn’t have Verizon Spam Filter, my mobile device would be full of useless, irritating, time-wasting robocalls and people trying to sell me lines of credit.
Inevitably, those calls come at an inconvenient time. When I am on a peaceful walk, focused on work, on a coaching call, or at dinner, to name just a few.
According to recent research, the average person checks their phone around 85 times daily. That is almost once every 15 minutes! With so many notifications vying for our attention, it is no wonder we struggle to stay focused.
Do Not Disturb mode is a feature people don't realize can alleviate most of these problems.
It is a setting provided in all phones that allows users to choose when and how they want to be updated with incoming alerts and notifications. With this feature, it is much easier to mute all calls, notifications, and alerts for tools like desk phones, softphones, mobile devices, and chat/ collaboration tools.
Maybe you think that getting notifications is not a big deal. And perhaps you feel that it's somehow convenient to be updated every hour of the day. But again, we are talking about productivity, and a simple buzz or flash can distract you and keep you from being productive.
Silence notifications and interruptions with Do Not Disturb mode when you need to focus on work, sleep, driving, etc. Configure Do Not Disturb and Focus modes in your phone settings.
HERE ARE 5 REASONS TO USE DO NOT DISTURB MODE
1. Reduces distractions
A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that smartphone notifications can be a significant source of distraction, even if the user does not interact with them. Using the Do Not Disturb mode can help reduce such distractions.
2. Increases productivity
According to multiple research, it was found that using this mode can lead to increased productivity by reducing interruptions and distractions.
3. Improved sleep
Research conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that Do Not Disturb mode at night can help improve sleep quality by reducing interruptions and allowing users to disconnect from technology fully.
Do Not Disturb mode does its part in providing a good night's sleep to its users. Still, there can be other external factors that may interfere with an individual's sleep. To overcome situations such as these, third-party products can be used. This can include basic things such as an eye mask** or as tech-savvy as AcousticSheep SleepPhones.**
4. Enhanced focus
This study by the University of California found that people who were interrupted by phone calls or notifications took an average of 23 minutes to return to their original task. Using Do Not Disturb mode can help enhance focus.
Freedom** is a similar third-party app that provides peace of mind to users by blocking notifications from selected apps or websites or the internet for a certain period.
5. Reduces stress
A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that constant smartphone notification reminders can increase stress levels.
The smartphone can be noisy and beeps and chimes announcing the arrival of a message or email, or some event in a game, can disturb your sleep. One solution is to turn off the sound, but your sleep might still be disturbed by the screen turning on if the phone is on the table beside the bed. However, with Do Not Disturb, you can get a good night’s rest in peace.
You might want to enable Do Not Disturb mode during meetings because the noises and screen activity can distract you and others.
Other scenarios include cinemas telling you to turn off your phone during the movie. Instead of doing that, you could enable Do Not Disturb mode. Driving a car is another occasion when you don't want to be disturbed by your phone because it could be dangerous.
6 REASONS TO PREFER DO NOT DISTURB MODE OVER OTHER OPTIONS
1. Enhanced Privacy
Enabling the Do Not Disturb mode ensures that others won't see or hear your device's notifications when you're in a public place, meeting, or presentation.
2. Improved Flexibility
It can be put on an automated schedule, unlike airplane or silent mode.
For example, schedule it for 9 pm to 7 am so your sleep is undisturbed. Or, you could schedule a 30-minute window during lunch.
3. Minimize distractions
The main purpose of the Do Not Disturb mode is to help minimize distractions. This mode will mute all incoming notifications and allow people to do their job with the least possible distractions.
4. Customization based on your preferences
The mode can be tailored according to the preference of the user. If the user wishes not to receive any notification from anyone, they can use the default setting.
On the other hand, if they want to receive notifications from some specific contacts from their smartphone, they can do so by adding those contacts in the favorite section. This preferential treatment for Favorites is unavailable in Airplane Mode or when the phone is silent.
5. Saving battery life
Putting the device in the Do Not Disturb mode will stop the apps from running in the background, and the battery will drain out less than usual.
6. Reduces anxiety
According to Dr. Larry Rosen, a research psychologist and author of ‘The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-tech world,’ the Do Not Disturb mode can be a helpful tool for reducing stress and anxiety. Constant notifications can be a source of stress and anxiety; taking a break from them can benefit our mental health.
Sometimes, we are so used to notifications that even if there are none; we mindlessly grab our phone from our pocket by default and check on it. It would lead us to tap on an application, like Instagram, and later realize we've spent 20 minutes scrolling through our feed. I'm sure you can empathize and relate to that!
You'll be surprised how often you check your phone or how much time you spend with it, even if it’s completely unnecessary. You can try apps like Rescue time** to track your phone usage. Awareness can lead to change!
As the author and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss once said, “The best way to get more done is to have less on your plate and more focus.” The Do Not Disturb mode is one way to help achieve this. You can also check out my article on ‘Intention or Distraction,’.
What are you waiting for? Enable Do Not Disturb mode to focus on the more important things in life.
Article written by Marcey Rader and Rijul Arora.
Note: ** are affiliate links, meaning that we'll earn a commission if you choose to purchase. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. We use these ourselves and recommend them regardless, but if we can earn a small commission, why not?
