📚 A&B #188

Indistractable, virtual book club, my sleep protocol.

April 07, 2024

👋 Hey everyone,

Here are a few popular posts you may have missed:

PS: I might do a virtual book club ($10 per person), fill out this form if you’re interested.

📚 Book Summary:

This week’s book is “Indistractable” by Nir Eyal.

This book is packed with practical advice on how to stay focused and stop getting distracted. If you spend countless hours on your phone or social media, you’ll find this book valuable.

Here are 3 lessons from it:

📖

1) Phone Away Keeps Distractions At Bay

The best thing you can do for your focus is to put your phone on silent and leave it as far away from you as possible.

Why?

Researchers found that “the mere presence of one’s smartphone may impose a brain drain.”

When you have your phone in your field of view or within arms reach, your brain must work hard to ignore it and say no to the dopamine rush of social media, emails, and messages.

But if your phone isn’t easily accessible, your brain is able to focus on the task at hand.

And if you must have it close to you, try turning off any rings, dings, or pings so it’s less distracting.

I’ve noticed I get my best work (and reading) done when I leave my phone on the opposite side of the house.

If it’s not possible for you to have your phone far away from you, don’t worry, the tips below can still help you.

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2) Beat Distractions With The 10-Minute Rule

The next time you’re doing work and feel the urge to pick up your phone, look at social media, or some other distraction–STOP for a moment.

Write down how you’re feeling and wait 10 minutes before giving in.

Writing down the negative emotion helps reduce it and waiting 10 minutes before giving into the distraction helps prevent it from becoming an impulsive habit.

For example, while writing this newsletter I got stuck on what lesson to write about and felt the urge to check my Twitter notifications (to get a hit of that sweet, sweet dopamine).

But I stopped, wrote that I was frustrated, and went back to reading the book instead of checking Twitter.

Additionally, if you follow the rule and wait 10 minutes, most of the time you’ll notice that the urge for a distraction has passed and is no longer needed.

It’s a win-win.

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3) Apply The 4 R’s To Reclaim Control Over Your Phone

There’s a great quote in the book that says, “When you invent the ship, you invent the shipwreck.”

The same can be applied to smartphones–when you invent the smartphone, you invent smartphone addiction.

But…it’s possible to control our smartphones instead of it controlling us, here’s how:

Remove: Uninstall the apps you no longer need.
Replace: Shift where and when you use potentially distracting apps, like social media and YouTube, to your desktop instead of on your phone. Get a wristwatch so you don’t have to look at your phone for the time.
Rearrange: Move any apps that may trigger mindless checking from your phone’s home screen.
Reclaim: Change the notification settings for each app. Be very selective regarding which apps can send you sound and sight cues. Learn to use your phone’s Do Not Disturb settings.

Follow these 4 R’s and you’ll be using your smartphone instead of it using you.

✅ Actionable Advice:

1) Leave your phone in another room before you start working or reading.

2) Apply the 10 minute rule to overcome distractions:

Write down the negative emotion you’re feeling and then wait 10 minutes before giving in to your distraction of choice.

3) Follow the 4 R’s to reclaim control over your smartphone.

📖 Reading Lesson:

300+ Reading tips from the 10 most skilled readers I've come across.

💎 Weekly Gem:

My Sleep Protocol

I’ve been obsessed with getting better sleep for the past year or so and have tested dozens of different sleep products and supplements, here are the best ones I’ve found:

Jocko GoodNight to help you fall asleep.
Jocko Magnesium to help you get deeper sleep.
Nasal strips to help you breathe more through your nose.
Hostage Tape to help you stop breathing through your mouth.
Blackout curtains to help make the room darker and get better sleep.

Disclaimer: None of this is health or medical advice. This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice, consult a professional.