Michelle Zorbas, CPO®, CWC 

While time is one of our most valuable assets, our focus is another one that is often overlooked. Distractions will happen no matter what, but controlling the ones we can will help save time and reduce stress. 

Think about how often your phone “pings” at you throughout the day. We set up reminders and alerts with the best of intentions only to grow blind to them. Or they distract us more than they help. Alert after alert…”ping, ping, ping.” 

Here are some of the most common alert sources I’ve noticed when helping clients go through their phone: 

• Email alerts, sometimes from multiple email accounts 
• Store alerts announcing coupons and sales 
• News and weather alerts 
• Charities requesting donations 
• Texts from well-meaning but chatty friends 
• Texts with links to social media posts, reels, gifs, memes, etc. 

Each one of those setting off an alert is like a person tapping you on the shoulder when you’re in the middle of doing something else. These distractions impact us more than you may realize. According to a study out of UC Irvine, it can take up to 23 minutes to refocus on a task after a single interruption. More interruptions means less productivity.  

So what can we do? 

THE BEST DEFENSE IS A GOOD OFFENSE 

Setting up your phone to protect your focus is simple and the benefits are immediate. Start by looking at what’s come up recently in your Notification Center on iPhone or Notification Panel on Android. Which messages truly need your immediate attention and which ones can wait? We create boundaries for the ones that can wait. Read on for best practices. 

TO MUTE OR NOT TO MUTE 

Silence the ones that can wait. Mute specific text threads and turn off alerts on apps. Remember muting is not ignoring. It’s just saying, “Not right now.”  

Designate a specific time to check messages in batches (mid-morning/afternoon break, after work). On my iPhone, I turn off alerts but leave “Badges” on. So when I’m ready to check my phone, the little red bubbles are there to catch my eye. 

UNSUBSCRIBE 

These days, just visiting a website can lead to a business emailing you repeatedly. Add on top of that all the times we subscribe to emails and texts just to get a coupon. 

Sit down for a little unsubscribing session, maybe at night while you’re watching TV. If you don’t want to unsubscribe entirely, you may be able to at least reduce the number of times a company emails you each week. For texts, usually just sending the word “Stop” will put an end to the messages. If you find yourself stuck making a decision on whether to unsubscribe, remember you can always resubscribe down the road. 

BYPASS THE INBOX 

If you need to leave your email alerts on, use filters to act like a bouncer at a club and only let the VIP messages “ping” through. This filter protects your attention by making sure messages that can wait bypass the inbox and collect in a folder you create and name like “Read Later.” 

BRING IN REINFORCEMENTS 

If you need help keeping your hands off your phone when you need to focus, try a focus timer. One I enjoy is the Focus Friend app. It puts your phone in deep focus mode, and a little bean friend knits you a gift as the clock counts down. But if you stop the timer early to use your phone, you’ll cause him to drop his knitting needles and be sad. Nothing like a little good old-fashioned guilt to keep us in check. 

Now before you get distracted, grab your phone and work on building those boundaries. May 2026 be your most productive year yet! For top-notch support, hire a productivity consultant using the NAPO Find a Pro directory.  

---

Meet the author, Michelle Zorbas, CPO®, CWC