Attention is like time. You only have so much and you can’t get it back. Spend it well or you’ll have nothing to show for it. Also, switch your focus too often and you’ll exhaust yourself without doing anything well.

Smartphones tend to be full of distractions. It’s hard to focus with beeps or buzzing every time a notification comes in. Even if you can’t hear your notifications, the sight of ‘unread’ badges can be hard to resist. That feeling of open items gnaws at you.

To take control of my phone, I eliminated nearly all notifications. When I want to engage, I open the app I need. I probably still look at my phone too frequently. Still, I focus longer and I have no stress from growing piles of unreads.

Sound good? If you’re ready to give it a go, check out this helpful guide:

In this age of distractions, what do you do to stay focused?