The One Notification That Can Actually Help Your Productivity (No, Really!)

Ding! Another notification. But wait—what if this one actually helped you be more productive instead of distracting you?

I’m not a zero-notifications productivity coach (shocker, right?). But I am all about making sure the notifications you do allow actually serve you, not steal your focus. And I just discovered a sneaky little feature on my iPhone that I should have enabled ages ago…

It all started when I was chatting with a neighbor about how much time people spend glued to their phones. They mentioned how they always know they’ve been on their device too much when they get a Screen Time notification.

Wait, what? Screen Time sends notifications?

I had no idea! (See? Even Mister Productivity is always learning.) I immediately turned it on. And let me tell you—it’s been an eye-opener.

Knowing exactly how much time I spend on my phone—and which apps are eating up my attention—helps me make smarter choices. Now, instead of mindlessly scrolling, I can be proactive about how I use my digital devices.

This hit me even harder as I’ve been reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (for the second time). The book has me rethinking all things digital. In fact, one of my wild (but not totally unrealistic) dreams is to get rid of our television altogether. I’d rather:

?? Read a book

?? Take a walk without headphones

?? Play a board game with my wife

And guess what? Having Screen Time notifications on keeps me accountable. My phone now tells me where my attention is going, so I no longer have to wonder if I’m spending too much time on it—I know.

The screenshot below is from my phone recently. Saturday is low because I took the screenshot just 4 hours into my day. Seeing this data in real-time is a game-changer.

For the curious, my top 5 apps right now? Snapchat (yes, really—more on that in a sec), LinkedIn, Signal, iMessage, and Proton Mail.

Now, about Snapchat… I use it strictly for sending video messages to a very select few friends. No scrolling. No mindless swiping. Just meaningful, intentional connection. And that’s the key to making any digital tool work for you instead of against you.

You don’t have to quit your phone cold turkey. But you do have to be intentional. Start with this: turn on Screen Time notifications. It might just change the way you use your phone—and your time.

What about you? Do you track your screen time? Have you ever been surprised by your usage? Hit reply and let me know!

PS: My next free training is happening on April 16th: "3 Productivity Myths Keeping You Stuck (And What to Do Instead!)." There will be a live Q&A, but no replay—so don’t miss it! You can register here.