Replace Interrupts with Polling

Turn off notifications, check comms as an explicit task.

Interrupts = notifications, arriving at unpredictable and inconvenient times. Polling = manually checking the source for things to action.

The obvious benefit: you don’t get interrupted. The less obvious benefit: when notifications are smeared throughout the day, they fall through the cracks. Something comes in when you’re busy, you swipe it away, forget about it, and realize days later you forgot to respond.

Polling is focused: you’ve chosen a block of time, you’re going through notifications systematically. Instead of random interruptions, you have a few short, focused blocks. And polling usually happens at your desk, so you’re in the right environment and mental state — no excuses.

“Put your phone on Do Not Disturb and silence notifications.” Trite. And yet it works.