# Mindful Phone Use: Tips for a More Focused Life
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Chapter 1: The Dual Nature of Phones
In today's world, smartphones can often become major distractions, consuming our time and focus. However, when used mindfully, they can also serve as powerful tools for productivity. This episode features a discussion between Matt East and Niklas Göke, who delves into the article "A Phone Setup That Will Make You More Mindful," highlighting strategies to make our phones serve us better.
Niklas Göke shares a fascinating analogy, stating, “I view my toothbrush as the ultimate tool because its purpose is clear, and it's only used when necessary.” This is starkly different from our smartphones, which often lead us astray.
Section 1.1: Strategies for a Mindful Phone Setup
Matt asks Niklas for practical advice on optimizing phone settings to enhance mindfulness and productivity. Niklas suggests focusing on three key areas that yield the most significant impact.
Subsection 1.1.1: Notification Management
The first recommendation is to audit your app notifications. Go through your notification settings and disable alerts for the majority of applications. Determine which notifications are genuinely essential and time-sensitive. Niklas mentions he narrowed it down to just eight apps that warrant notifications, effectively reducing unnecessary distractions.
Section 1.2: Adjusting Phone Settings
The second tip is straightforward but effective. On an iPhone, you can turn off the "vibrate on silent" feature. By doing so, you can keep your phone in silent mode most of the time, which significantly lessens the temptation to check it. Niklas finds that, for him, maintaining silent mode 80-90% of the time has been a game-changer, as it minimizes interruptions and distractions.
Chapter 2: Removing Visual Distractions
Niklas’s third suggestion is to physically remove your phone from sight while focusing on tasks. He recommends testing this by placing your phone next to your laptop for an hour and tracking how often you pick it up. Afterward, try hiding your phone and observe the difference. This simple change can lead to significantly fewer distractions, demonstrating how powerful visual cues can be in influencing our behavior.