Start with a nuclear audit: turn off everything, then add back only essentials

Disable all push notifications, then re-enable only those that represent a genuine real-time need.

Why it works

Most people accumulate notifications through opt-in defaults at app installation; very few are the result of deliberate choice about what deserves real-time attention. Starting from zero reverses the default: each notification re-enabled is a conscious decision rather than an oversight. The asymmetry of this approach — zero-and-add rather than review-and-remove — changes the baseline from "everything on" to "only what I chose."

How to do it

1. Go to Settings → Notifications (iOS) or Settings → Apps → Notifications (Android).
2. Disable all notifications for all apps in a single pass.
3. Wait 48 hours before re-enabling anything — this reveals which silences are genuinely inconvenient.
4. Re-enable only apps where the delay cost is real: calls, direct messages from specific people, calendar alerts.

Evidence

Notification volume is correlated with self-reported stress and interruption cost in organizational and mobile research; the nuclear audit approach applies the opt-in-default principle to information architecture. (observational)

The Kushlev et al. study is a small experiment; the correlation between notification volume and stress is robust but effect sizes vary.

Sources

• Kushlev, Proulx & Dunn (2016), "Silence your phones: smartphone notifications increase inattention and hyperactivity symptoms," CHI 2016

Common mistake

Reviewing notifications app by app and leaving most on because each one seems potentially useful — this preserves the status quo with extra effort.