Definitely not claiming this to necessarily be original, but I also haven't read this specific thing anywhere. More likely it's a way I've synthesized general readings and understandings of how we interact with mobile tech, and thought I'd share.
So upon feeling, hearing, and/or seeing a notification on your phone.
Breath 1 - Simply think about the thing you felt, heard, and/or saw. How many beeps did you hear? How long did it vibrate? The important thing is to just focus on the experience of the thing and not the meaning of it.
Breath 2 - Think about how the notification makes you feel. Are you feeling anxious, excited, uninterested, etc?
Breath 3 - Think about if you want or need to check it in this moment. But make sure not to conflate the two. Were you expecting an urgent message/text? If you don't "need" to check it, why do you "want" to? Think about NOT checking the phone in this moment, especially if you're in the middle of something and/or with other people.
After those three breaths, even if you want to based on how you feel because of the thing you felt, heard, or saw, make a choice to check your phone as an intentional action rather than a reaction.
And if you don't have enough time to breathe because of how many notifications you get, consider dialing back the notifications.
So...what do you think?
