Reducing Digital Distractions

These legal drugs are most dangerous to Gen-Z than drugs, alcohol, or smoking. After becoming a father, I realised that we normalise some addictions that have serious health implications. - Online shopping. - Social media. - Gaming. - Porn. These are not just bad habits. They rewire the brain the same way addictive substances do. Here’s how: 1. Dopamine Hijack Every swipe, win, purchase, or explicit video floods the brain with dopamine — the same pleasure chemical that makes drugs addictive. Soon, your brain craves more to feel the same high. 2. Withdrawal & Cravings Feeling restless, irritable, or anxious when you’re not online? That’s withdrawal. The brain becomes dependent on these constant dopamine hits, making real life feel dull. 3. Loss of Control The prefrontal cortex — the part responsible for self-control — gets overpowered by the brain’s reward system, leading to compulsive behaviour. The consequences? - Shrinking attention spans → Today, it’s 8.25 seconds — shorter than a goldfish’s. - Anxiety & depression → 3+ hours of social media daily doubles the risk of depression in young adults (2022 study). - Destroyed sleep cycles → Screen time before bed cuts melatonin by 30%, leading to chronic fatigue. - Financial burnout → 41% of Gen Z struggle with impulse spending, driving financial stress. So what can you do today? ▶︎ If you’re in your early 20s: No screens 4 times a day — first hour after waking, mealtimes, workouts, and an hour before bed. Put your phone on grayscale (black and white) – This reduces dopamine-driven scrolling instantly. ▶︎ If you’re a parent: Lead by example – Kids copy what they see. Reduce your own screen time first. Replace, don’t just remove – Swap screen time with real-world rewards like outdoor activities or creative hobbies. Becoming a new dad made me rethink digital habits. If I don’t fix mine, I can’t expect my child to have a healthy relationship with technology. We can’t avoid screens, but we can stop them from controlling our lives. What do you think? Which of these addictions do you think is the hardest to break? #healthandwellness #lifestyle #addictions

139,000 videos sent. One Vidyard award. Zero competitors even close. And I still don't understand why more teams aren't using video. It is truly the most under utilized tool in sales (not just propsecting) My teams at PatientPop sent more one-to-one videos than anyone I know. Not generic marketing videos. Not AI. Personal, one-to-one prospecting and post sale/mid sales cycle videos. 139,000 in 18 months. Vidyard literally gave us an award for it. And here's what kills me: Most sales teams send maybe 10 videos a month. Total. It. f'n works. Execs get 10 cold emails a day. 10 cold calls a day. They get 2-3 videos a month. MAYBE (execs chime in here, how many do you get?) You do the math on where you can stand out. But it's not just about being different. Video lets you control everything: - The tone (enthusiastic, not desperate) - The pace (fast, not rushed) - The humanity (real person, not automation) You become human in 30 seconds. It also lets you show, not just tell. Email: You tell them you noticed something. Video: You show their actual website while explaining what you noticed. Email: You tell them you're excited. Video: They see your energy, your research, your preparation. Email: You tell them about your product. Video: You show them exactly what matters to them. See the difference, ya'll? Here is the exact framework that we used for videos. **K** - Know: "Here's what I know about you..." **P** - Problem: "Here's the problem you're probably facing..." **I** - Impact: "Here's what that problem is costing you..." **C** - Connect: "Here's why I'm reaching out..." **C** - Call to action: "Here's what I'd like you to do..." Under 60 seconds if you've never talked. 90 max. Up to 3 minutes if you've spoken before. A lot of people also overthink video in a big way. We had one key rule. End it and send it. Stumbled? Send it. Dog barked? Send it. Said "um" three times? Send it. No redos. No perfection. No overthinking. The stumble makes you human. The dog makes you real. Perfect videos feel like marketing. Imperfect videos feel like people. One last key tip here. The email/msg has to sell the click. Nobody cares that you sent them a video. They care about what's in it for them. Your subject line, your email, your link text - everything should scream value, not "watch my video." Tell them WHY to watch. What they'll learn. What problem you'll solve. The video isn't the value. What's IN the video is the value. Here's my challenge to you. Pick 5 prospects tomorrow. Send them each a personal video: 1. Show their website/LinkedIn while you talk 2. Use KPICC structure (60 seconds max) 3. End it and send it (no redos) 4. Email sells the click, not the video 5. Follow up with confidence: "Did you see what I put together?" Then call each of them 2-3x the next week & watch your connect rates triple. Because while everyone else is sending bland email templates, you're showing up as a human. And humans buy from humans.

You might think you have an attention problem. But I suspect you really have an environment problem. We’re living in the most distracted moment in history. Phones. Tabs. Notifications. Your environment is rigged against you. So trying harder usually doesn’t work. Here are four ways to get your attention back: First, measure before you fix. How fragmented is your attention? Try this test: Pick up a book. Start a timer. How long can you go before you check your phone? That number is your baseline. You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Second, remove the leeches. Your environment is not neutral. It’s competing for your attention. So stop relying on willpower. Put your phone in another room. Turn off notifications. Close the extra tabs. Your attention isn’t broken. It’s being drained. Third, build a starting ritual. Focus doesn’t begin with effort. It begins with a cue. Writers light a candle. Coders play the same music. Others sit in the same chair. The ritual itself doesn’t matter. Consistency does. It tells your brain: now we begin. Fourth, stop the endless grinding. Your brain isn’t built for nonstop work. After about 90 minutes, performance drops. Push through, and you don’t become more productive. You become less effective. Breaks aren’t a distraction from the work. They’re part of the work. Most people try to fix attention by trying harder. That’s the wrong lever. The better approach is simpler: Change the environment. Build the cue. Respect the limits. Because attention isn’t something you find. It’s something you design. If you want the full breakdown, I go deeper here: https://lnkd.in/gE7CYJMm

Are you addicted to likes? Are you endless scrolling through your LinkedIn feed? Do you feel your stomach in knots the first 30 minutes after you press post? Do you question yourself: will this post spark a conversation, be ignored or will this land me in LinkedIn jail? Balancing the Scale: Social Media’s Allure and the Quest for Authentic Engagement Being active on social media can be a double-edged sword. The addiction to ‘likes’ and the stress of constant content creation present can be challenging. I’ve been there. Here’s what I’ve done to get past this. 1. Recognize the ‘Like’ Addiction: We often equate the success of our content with likes and shares, but this can distort our authentic voice. Remember, true value lies in genuine engagement, not just in numbers. 2. Schedule and Limit Engagement: Allocate specific times for social media interaction to avoid being consumed by it. This helps in maintaining focus on our real-world tasks and responsibilities. 3. Curate Your Feed: Follow and engage with individuals and groups that inspire and add value. A cluttered feed can lead to information overload and stress. 4. Embrace the Long Game on LinkedIn: Building meaningful connections and sharing insightful content consistently are more beneficial in the long term than chasing instant gratification. 5. Set Realistic Social Media Goals: Define what you aim to achieve through your presence on platforms like LinkedIn. Measure success not just by immediate engagement, but by the quality of connections and conversations you inspire. 6. Take Regular Breaks: Stepping away from social media is vital for mental health. Regular breaks can refresh your perspective and enhance creativity. I take a day off a week. 7. Stay True to Your Story: In the world of content creation, authenticity is key. Share stories and insights that are genuinely yours, resonating more with your audience and feeling less burdensome to create. Navigating social media’s highs and lows is part of our professional journey. How do you manage the balance between seeking engagement and maintaining authenticity? Share your strategies and experiences. P.S. Have you ever taken a step back to reassess your social media strategy? What insights did you gain? #whatsyourstory #storytelling #socialmediastrategy #wellbeing #mentalhealth

We’ve sent over 100,000 cold emails for clients this year. One simple play that’s outperforming everything else: video follow-ups to engaged prospects. Here’s how it works: > Once a prospect opens or clicks an email twice, they’re automatically pulled into a video follow-up sequence. > Same core message. 30–45 seconds long. Personal intro, mention of their company, and a quick reason we reached out. Across fourteen different campaigns, reply rates on those video emails averaged 8.4% — compared to 3.1% on the base sequence. Meeting rates were nearly double (1.9% vs. 1.0%). Nothing else changed. Same offer. Same targeting. Just the format and timing. Here’s why it works: - When someone has opened or clicked multiple times, they’re curious but not convinced. - Text-based bumps just blend in. A video breaks that pattern. - It reintroduces a human element right when interest is highest. - And because it’s triggered automatically, the timing feels personal but scales easily.

Beyond the Crunch: Navigating Pressure, Stress, and the Race Against Time 🤯 A month ago, I was invited by the Yale School of Public Health to share in a class my strategies for managing the pressures and stresses associated with being an advisor and/or manager behind prominent #SocialMedia accounts. This opportunity spurred me to reflect on my personal coping mechanisms for navigating this demanding field. 1. Passion as Fuel: Above all else, you need to genuinely love your work. The time and energy invested in meeting the demands of social media audiences are not worth it if you're not genuinely engaged. Your health will ultimately bear the brunt. 2. Crunch Time Efficiency: In my line of work, I often deal with humanitarian crises and health emergencies. When crunch time arrives, it's time to roll up your sleeves and focus. Avoid distractions and limit the endless scrolling that can derail your productivity. Consider muting chatting apps to prevent interruptions from notifications and incoming requests. 3. Collaboration in Success and Failure: Social media posts behind large accounts rarely result from individual effort. They are a collective endeavor. Success is shared among all those who contributed, just as failure is shared. While taking accountability for your work is crucial, it's equally important to learn from setbacks without succumbing to guilt. Embrace the opportunity to grow and improve. 4. Protecting Your Mental Well-being: As a social media manager, you face an onslaught of trolls and negativity. Learn to gauge your tolerance for this and limit your exposure. Consider rotating the responsibility of monitoring comments and social media conversations among team members. On your personal accounts, you may choose to mute certain accounts or individuals. Your mental health must be prioritized. 5. Disconnection for Rejuvenation: The ever-evolving algorithms and relentless pace of social media demand balance. Make time for yourself to relax, recharge, and pursue activities that bring you joy. Don't feel guilty about disconnecting from the digital world. I'm not perfect in this regard, but I'm working on improving my disconnect strategies. 6. Seeking Support: Sharing your struggles is a powerful tool for coping. Reach out to trusted peers when you need support or to simply vent. If the stress and pressure of your work, particularly in humanitarian crisis situations, become overwhelming, consider seeking professional help. I utilize both peer support and professional counselling , depending on the challenges I face. What are your winning strategies for navigating social media's hurdles and building an unstoppable online presence?

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞. 𝐈𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞. After working with more than 250 professionals, I’ve noticed a pattern: trust doesn’t form when someone shares a polished idea. It forms when things are unclear, uncertain, or uncomfortable and you see how they respond. I once worked with a founder in real estate. Strong experience, good market understanding, active on LinkedIn. But their content felt inconsistent. One week confident, the next reactive to trends. Sometimes original, sometimes borrowed. No clear pattern. So I asked: If the market changes tomorrow, what would you still believe that others might disagree with? That question didn’t test knowledge. It revealed conviction. We shifted from posting more to thinking more clearly. From reacting to trends to defining beliefs rooted in experience, patterns in deals, negotiations, client behavior that most people overlook. Within weeks, engagement changed. Not just likes, but questions, challenges, discussions. And over time, people kept coming back. That’s when trust becomes visible. Because trust isn’t built when you sound right. It’s built when people understand how you arrive at what you say. Most professionals focus on conclusions. But people don’t trust conclusions. They trust reasoning. They want to see how you think when things aren’t obvious. How you handle uncertainty. Whether your perspective stays steady or shifts with every trend. That’s what makes someone reliable. My answer: 𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭. Because anyone can sound smart when things are easy. 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞. #OneThingToKnow : Trust is built when you stand by your thinking even when it goes against the trend. LinkedIn News India LinkedIn Guide to Creating #PersonalBranding #Leadership #FutureOfWork

🔇 Too much buzz? 🔇 What a hyper-connected world we live in! And what endless streams of information. From the constant buzz of social media channels to the pace of work-related communications, the floodgates are wide open. This continuous flow not only challenges our capacity to stay informed but also sparks a profound sense of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Do you feel guilty? I do! But here's my gentle reminder: It's okay not to catch every wave of information. So maybe this will help you: 👉 Prioritize what truly matters to you Begin by identifying what's genuinely relevant to your personal and professional growth. Not every trend or discussion will significantly impact your journey. Focus on content that aligns with your values, goals, and aspirations. 👉 Choose your mentors wisely Follow thought leaders and organizations that inspire you and contribute positively to your field of interest. Quality over quantity ensures that your feed enriches, not overwhelms, your mind. 👉 Embrace selective ignorance The concept of selective ignorance is not about being uninformed but about consciously choosing what to ignore. Allow yourself the freedom to skip content that doesn't serve you, enabling more room for what truly enlightens and energizes you. 👉 Manage your time, manage your mind Set boundaries around your information consumption. Dedicate specific times for checking updates and engaging with content. This practice helps me in reducing anxiety and increasing productivity. 👉 Reflect and unplug Regularly take time to disconnect and reflect. This not only aids in consolidating your thoughts but also in appreciating the world beyond screens. Moments of quiet and reflection are precious, allowing us to reconnect with our core selves. I get better and better with this because I see how it helps me although I am a high-performer. Remember, it takes courage to step back and embrace what truly enriches us. The wisdom lies not in absorbing every piece of information out there but in discerning what makes us more informed, engaged, and balanced individuals. Let me know what you do in order not to get flooded with information and how you find your balance? I am finding my balance flying to Mexico today to spent time with my family. No time for buzz as I prioritize myself the next weeks relaxing and unwinding from a crazy 2024 start. 🙋♀️ #InformationOverload #Mindfulness #FOMO #DigitalWellbeing

The post-vacation overwhelm is real, and it's getting worse 📱 As many of us return from extended summer breaks, we're having an interesting conversation internally about "notification bankruptcy" - that moment when you come back to hundreds (or thousands) of messages and feel completely overwhelmed, and you consider nuking the inbox 🙅🏻♂️ This challenge is particularly serious for companies like Doist that collaborate primarily through chat tools and async communication. The very systems that give us flexibility at work also create this crushing wall of information when we return from time off. Here's what makes it so painful for me: - Everything feels "urgent" when you're catching up - You lack context on conversations that evolved while you were away - The fear of missing something important keeps you scrolling endlessly - Wasted time reading comms that have already been solved or are no longer relevant - It can take days just to get back to a baseline, much less move forward We're exploring several approaches to minimize this pain internally, sharing in case it's useful for others out there: - Notification bankruptcy - Encouraging marking all or at least large chunks of comms as read and trusting that truly important items will resurface. Only read @mentions and direct messages. - Structured triage - Dedicate specific time blocks to different message types. Start with DMs, then recent squad/team updates, then general channels. Set time limits to avoid rabbit holes and add long threads as tasks for later dates. - Email deletion strategy - Set an auto-reply saying you'll delete all emails when you return, so people should follow up after your return date if still relevant. Side note - I've been doing this for many years and have found most issues resolve themselves during your absence. - Temporary delegation with handoff projects - Create a centralized Todoist project where covering team members add (only) critical updates and decisions that need your attention (with links and context, very important!). Much more focused than scrolling through hundreds of messages. - Selective catch-up calls - Cancel all non-essential calls during your return week and schedule brief syncs with key team members to get updates on complex situations. The reality is that most of the "urgent" stuff from while you were away either got resolved without you or isn't actually urgent anymore, and very likely, your absence created an opportunity for another teammate to step into that space and grow from it. We tend to think we have to read and reply to everything, but declaring bankruptcy might actually be doing your team (and yourself) a service. I'd love to know how others are dealing with the post-vacation message flood, and any strategies that have worked (or failed) for your team? Always looking for better approaches to this modern workplace challenge 🤝 **Photo of Koda monitoring my approach to post-vacay inbox management 🐶

A study more people should know about: Simple “nudges” to reduce smartphone use improve wellbeing. 📚 The study: Olson et al. (2022), “A Nudge-Based Intervention to Reduce Problematic Smartphone Use: Randomised Controlled Trial” (published in The International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction) 🧪 What they did: The researchers randomly split two groups. One group was told to use their smartphones as usual. The other group was encouraged to use these simple strategies for 2-6 weeks:  1) Notifications. Disable non-essential notifications (sounds, banners, and vibration). 2) Accessibility. Keep your phone on silent (vibrate off), face down, out of sight, and out of reach when not in use throughout the day. 3) Unlocking. Disable Touch ID/Face ID (i.e. the fingerprint/face scanner to unlock your phone); use a password instead. 4) Sleep. Keep your phone on silent (vibrate off) and out of reach when going to bed (e.g. on the opposite side of the room). 5) Display. Turn down your phone’s brightness, set it to greyscale (black and white), and change the colour warmth to filter out blue light (i.e., turn on the “night shift” feature). 6) Social media. Hide social media and email apps (e.g. Instagram, SnapChat, Facebook, Gmail, Outlook) in a folder off of the home screen (or even delete them). 7) Computers. If you can do the task on a computer, try to keep it on the computer (e.g. social media, web search, or e-mail). 8) Relationships. Let your family, friends, or colleagues know that you will be replying less often unless they call you directly. 9)  Presence. Leave your phone at home when you do not need it (e.g. when getting groceries or going to the gym). 📈 The result: Among the group that used these strategies, the researchers saw: → Reduction in problematic smartphone use and screen time  → Reduction in depressive symptoms  → Improved sleep quality TL;DR The basic stuff works. Implement these basic strategies to hack back your phone. If you enjoyed this, download my 1-page playbook on how to build your Indistractable Phone: https://lnkd.in/ehvdikW9