Dear Reader,

I often feel too distracted by what I get on the phone: WhatsApp, Telegram, Skype and the likes. As I described in a previous post about emails, I have already get rid of all notifications for emails, but that is not enough yet.

Turning the phone to “do not disturb” mode is still not enough: if I pick it up, I can again see badges on apps and notifications on-screen and be distracted.

I sometimes tried to put it entirely offline, or to turn it off… but anxiety crept in. I have a wife, two children, parents… people who could rely on me in critical situations, or even in life-or-death matters.

What I did not know, and I feel so dumb about it, is that you can turn off data connection with a simple tap on a widget on your phone! That leaves the phone and SMS connections available but cuts off every other channel.

In the word of my dear friend C.P., who made me aware of the function:

It’s like you are instantly back to the nineties. If there is an emergency people can still reach you, and for all other purposes you are shielded from distractions.

C.P.

Now when I need to get some uninterrupted deep thinking time I write to my wife and some other close friend if needed, that I’m going to disconnect, so they know I’m just an SMS away if they need me.

Until next time, I’ll time travel a lot!