I've been working remotely for three months and I can't stop checking WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok every five minutes. I've tried leaving my phone in another room but then I get anxious thinking I'm missing something important from work. Is there any technique or app that actually works?
The issue isn't really the phone itself but the anxiety it causes you to leave it out of sight, so putting it in another room probably won't work! What helps a lot of people is keeping it visible but on complete silent (no visual or sound notifications) and setting specific times to check it - like every hour or every two hours - instead of trying to ignore it completely. The Forest app is popular for this because it gamifies focus, but honestly what helps most is accepting that some messages can wait and that your boss won't need instant responses when you're working remotely - if something's urgent they'll call you. Try setting Do Not Disturb during your peak concentration hours and only allow key contacts through; that takes away the anxiety of "what if I miss something" because the important people will still be able to reach you.
Log into answer.
