Do not disturb
Like really no notifications pls
Do Not Disturb
One of the most impactful shifts I’ve made in my workflow over the past 16 months came from the most unexpected place: an intern.
She always had her phone on Do Not Disturb. At first I thought nothing of it, but one day it clicked—like a shattering glass moment. That is brilliant.
I’ve always been disciplined with my email. I check it twice a day—morning and afternoon—and that’s it. The reason is simple: if you live in your inbox, your day isn’t yours anymore. Your inbox is directing your time. You’re playing defense, not offense.
And when you’re playing defense, none of the high-value, forward-looking, creative work gets done. Things like:
Checking in with production partners
Finalizing a giveaway
Scouting event locations
All of those get pushed aside because you’re too busy firing off replies to the constant stream of small asks that fill an inbox.
The Phone Problem
Email I had under control. But text messages? That was a different story.
More and more, key conversations—big partnerships, urgent questions, even family matters—happen over text. And unlike email, people don’t know when I’m available. Nor should they have to. It’s not their job to guess when I’m free; it’s my responsibility to manage when I respond.
But the effect was the same: texts started pulling me into reactive mode, breaking my focus, breaking my flow. And flow is precious. If you’ve ever had a moment of great creative thinking—a brand new product idea, a marketing breakthrough—you know how fragile it is. One phone call can knock it right out of your head.
So, I adopted the same discipline for my phone. Now, my phone lives on Do Not Disturb.
What It Changes
Here’s the shift: instead of calls and texts dictating my attention, I choose when I check missed calls or return messages.
This means:
I can be fully present in meetings without worrying about interruptions.
I can give personal conversations my full attention when it’s the right time.
Most importantly, I can protect deep work and creative flow.
It sounds small, but it has been one of the most transformative workflow tools I’ve found.
The Caveat
Of course, there’s a tradeoff. Do Not Disturb doesn’t discriminate. It silences everything—including meeting reminders.
That means you have to be extra disciplined with your calendar. I’ve missed a few calls over the year (and hated it every time). As a founder, I believe showing up on time sets the tone for the team. If I’m late, I’m signaling that lateness is acceptable. That’s not who I want to be, and it’s not the culture I want to build.
So my rule is: Do Not Disturb always on. But I’m hyper-vigilant about the calendar. If you’re not great at time management yet, start there first.
Why It Works
Do Not Disturb works best paired with time blocking.
I design my weeks so that tasks are batched together:
Finance tasks one day.
Marketing tasks another.
Team management stacked on certain days.
That way I’m not bouncing from finance → marketing → finance → marketing all day. Task-switching is a silent killer of productivity. Every switch costs energy, and over time, it drains your capacity for big, strategic thinking.
Time blocking + Do Not Disturb = days that are mine. Days where I’m leading, not reacting.
The Takeaway
If you want to work with more clarity, more creativity, and more control, put your phone on Do Not Disturb.
It’s such a small thing. But small things compound into massive differences over time.
Your day is either yours—or it belongs to everyone who can reach you.