As a result of COVID, the outside world has grown quieter. In-person gatherings have become few and far between, people are avoiding wasting time out and about, opting to get their errands done as fast as possible, and many people have had to stay locked down at home. Although COVID has ushered in a quieter time, our digital lives have become louder than ever.
With a quieter outside world, our work, friends, family, errands, and entertainment have all moved online. While our homes may feel cozy and contained, the demands and energy our digital world requires of us can be overwhelming at times. Although it has been a gift to remain so connected online and access so many resources, sometimes we long for some solitude and quiet from our new bustling digital lives. But our devices are always with us and running in our homes, so how do we strike a balance in this new world of hybrid living?
Physical boundaries used to be a much more concrete tool for creating work-life balance. Still, now that we can all be digitally connected all the time, we are responsible for managing this ourselves. Do not disturb can be a great tool for preserving your energy, privacy, and peace in the hyperactive digital landscape.
Do Not Disturb
Do Not Disturb is helpful for far more than just silencing your phone during a meeting or event. Do Not Disturb can be used for various things, such as ensuring your phone stays quiet while you sleep, silencing personal notifications during your workday, silencing work-related notifications during your personal time, or only allowing certain people to reach you when you’re overwhelmed or busy.
Customization options
Do not Disturb functions on phones have become much more intuitive and customizable, allowing you to customize different Do Not Disturb modes and even schedule them for different periods of the day. Additionally, you can completely adjust what apps and contacts you want notifications for, making it an efficient tool for not only complete silence but moderated seclusion when you need it.
How to enable Do Not Disturb
iPhone
Enabling Do Not Disturb on your iPhone is easy. To find it, go to Settings and select Focus. When you tap on Do Not Disturb, you will see options for customizing some existing Do Not Disturb modes and adding your own. Within each mode, you will find options for which contacts and apps to allow, whether or not to show notifications on the screen while your phone is unlocked, an option to notify contacts that try to reach you of your Do Not Disturb status, and an option to enable the status across your devices. Additionally, you can schedule Do Not Disturb to enable automatically. You can choose what hours, days, or locations automatically trigger Do Not Disturb mode.
Once you customize your settings, you can swipe down and access the control center at any time and select from your Do Not Disturb options manually. This allows you to turn these modes on and off whenever you want.
Android
To customize your Do Not Disturb options on Android, swipe down from the top of the screen to access your control center. Then press and hold the Do Not Disturb icon until the Do Not Disturb settings pop up. From here, you can customize what notifications, sounds, and people can contact you during this Do Not Disturb mode. You can also set a schedule to enable this mode automatically at certain times.
Maintaining balance in all areas of life may be more complicated when navigating an increasingly digital world, but with these devices come tools for better productivity and peace of mind. Hopefully, you can now find a use for Do Not Disturb that brings you more peace and quiet when you need it.
