To the average man, it is common that they have cell phones as this is the most used tool of communication. However, with the advent of smart phones, there are so many applications either built in or downloaded to help with daily activities in life. That's a good thing.
Unless you have a personal assistant who is in charge of handling your phone, you will agree that more often than not, having a smart phone can be disruptive especially when you let the device control you. I'm talking about those notifications that pop up say when you receive a message, an email, whatsapp groups just to name but a few.
I think it's necessary to have boundaries with your phone. Be in charge, I have established a rule where if I need to focus on work that needs all my attention, I will put the phone in Airplane mode for the duration of time I need to get the work done. Thereafter, I will switch it on and if there were any people who tried reaching me, I will drop them a text informing them I will call them at my earliest.
Believe it or not, this has increased my productivity. I also resolved to be dedication an hour to respond to emails and social media messages related to work just before I go to bed as opposed to doing that in the morning when your mind is fresh to take on new tasks. This way, you end up not wasting time on irrelevant materials, articles or anything online. I hope this helps.
free image from pixabay
You are right there. I have opted out of whatsapp
I find muting groups the solution to whatsapp. I still need it for international conversations, way much cheaper.