Ways to Use Technology to Limit Distractions

As a software engineer juggling ADHD and PTSD, I've had to get creative with my work habits. Here's a peek into the strategies that keep me productive. 👨💻🎧 🔊 Loud Music for Laser Focus Forget lo-fi — give me that high-energy beat to lock in my concentration and keep my mind from drifting. 🖥️ Single Screen, Singular Focus Despite the popularity of multi-monitor setups, a single screen minimizes distractions and maximizes my coding flow. 🚫 Strategic Meeting Minimization Meetings can be a significant flow disruptor. I now schedule a dedicated four-hour block for uninterrupted coding, significantly boosting my output. 📴 Phone Coffin: Out of Sight, Out of Mind My phone goes into a literal coffin, and my watch gets docked. If it's urgent, Slack or Teams is the way to reach me. 🔕 Do Not Disturb: My Silent Ally DND mode is non-negotiable during my focused coding blocks to keep those pings and dings at bay. ⏲️ The Countdown Timer Technique A physical timer sets the boundary for my work sprints, helping me stay on track and reminding me when to take a break. 🤖 AI Tools: My Secret Sauce From scheduling with Motion to note-taking with Notion, AI tools help me stay organized and in the zone. And Copilot? It's my co-coding companion that lets me stay in my editor longer. These are my adjustments to keep me coding at my best. If you're navigating similar challenges or seeking focus-enhancing tips, I hope these insights inspire you. Stay productive, and keep coding! #CodingWithADHD #ProductivityHacks #SoftwareDevelopment #MentalHealthAwareness

Four quick ways to dramatically reduce distractions: (Pick just one and you'll still benefit!) Pick up your phone and: 1. Adjust your colorful screen to grayscale. 2. Disable most notifications. Batch others. 3. Set daily time limits by app/app category. 4. Put your phone out of reach and/or sight. People often tell me they struggle to focus. It's something I'd noticed increasingly in myself, too. And then I realized I could greatly improve my focus by setting myself up for focus by removing distractions. Which both increase focus and reduce stress. So last year I began with notifications. Removing the super random ones, and batching most of the rest into three chosen times: 9am, 3pm, 7pm. I then reduced the color on my screen. Full grayscale didn't display well in certain apps but subtle color did. And finally I set the app/phone time limits. And when I did I realized I often hit them before 10am. Yikes. Do I override the limits sometimes? YES. But when I do I now put the phone down much faster. I also kept a handful of notifications - eg family texts - real time. As we begin a new week, if you've found yourself distracted, which of these will you try? And what have I missed? If this post resonated, you can help others see it with your reactions, comments & reposts. Together we can improve our focus - and overall wellbeing. *** Hi, I'm Sally! Click follow (+) for more on workplace wellbeing, personal growth, human resilience, meaningful connection, cancer survivorship & more. #wellbeing #technology #productivity

I met with an executive in a mid-career pivot. Gathered in a garden café - it went like this: ↴ On a fresh Spring morning - birds, breeze, and quiet enough to think clearly. 🐝 The conversation moved fast into deeper ground. Career direction. Energy shifts. What’s next and how it's important now. I'm an executive coach. These are the kinds of conversations I live for - honest, revealing, and forward-moving. But something subtle stood out. Even in this energizing exchange, they kept glancing at their phone. 📱 Not out of disinterest. Just habit. I mentioned it gently, and we both laughed. It’s become second nature - reaching for our screens without even noticing. That’s why I chose that environment for our meeting. Real light. ☀️ Real sounds. 🦜 The kind of space that clears the static and sharpens the mind. We ended up trading ways to create distance from distraction. And yes, the follow-up meeting is already booked. 🤝 Here’s part of what we landed on: Simple practices - that help you stay engaged, guard your attention, and give your brain the reset it craves. ⤵ 7 Ways to Make Your Phone Less Appealing, Less Accessible, and Far Less Invasive: 1️⃣ Switch to Grayscale ▷  Color stimulates. ☑️ Grayscale removes the visual bait that keeps your thumb scrolling. 2️⃣ Move Tempting Apps Off Your Home Screen ▷  Out of sight. Out of automatic reach. ☑️ Make space for intent, not impulse. 3️⃣ Silence All Non-Human Notifications ▷  No badges, banners, or buzzes. ☑️ Unless it’s a person - not an algorithm - trying to reach you. 4️⃣ Park Your Phone in Another Room During Deep Work ▷  Proximity fuels distraction. ☑️ Even silent, your phone competes with your thoughts. 5️⃣ Use Analog Tools Within Reach ▷  Notebook. Pen. Watch. Timer. ☑️ Give your hands something better to reach for. 6️⃣ Create Phone-Free Hours (and Keep Them Sacred) ▷  Your brain thrives on idle time. ☑️ Mental clarity isn’t found between pings. 7️⃣ Set Your Lock Screen to Show a Purpose Statement ▷  A single line that reminds you - ☑️ WHY you’re choosing intention over the pull. These aren’t digital detox trends. 🛡️ They’re discipline moves for professionals who value their energy, protect their attention, and refuse to live at the mercy of the next ping. 🛡️ Your thinking deserves room. Your ideas deserve oxygen. 🛡️ Remember: the best decisions rarely come when you're mid-scroll. The brain scans don’t lie - less reactivity, more regulation, and the kind of mental state that sustains progress. 🧠 images by Matter Neuroscience 💬 Which of these moves can you try today? ♻️   Repost to help others thrive above the screens. 🔔 Follow me Ronnie Kinsey, MBA for more like this. 📥 Get more of my tools for leadership, business, and personal development here Free: ➤ https://lnkd.in/dkagD_Wp