Living in New York, you’re constantly surrounded by noise — sirens, subway screeches, conversations on every corner. But honestly, some of the loudest noise isn’t even external. It’s the constant buzzing, pinging, and flashing of our own phones.
When I first moved here, I wanted to be connected all the time. I had every app on, every notification live. I told myself it was necessary — to keep up with work, friends, everything. But it didn’t take long before I realized I wasn’t just overwhelmed by the city. I was drowning in alerts I didn’t need.
So over time, I built a system — nothing fancy, just small, deliberate choices — to help me reclaim a little mental quiet in a city that rarely sleeps. Here’s how I manage notifications without going totally off-grid.
🔕 First, I Turned (Almost) Everything Off
I started by going nuclear. I turned off all non-essential notifications — and by essential, I mean calls, texts, and calendar alerts. Everything else went silent.
No more pings from Instagram likes. No more “in case you missed it” from Twitter. No more retail apps telling me what was 20% off.
It felt weird at first, like I was missing something important. But after just a couple of days, I realized how little of that noise actually mattered.
🧠 I Use Notification Zones
Instead of letting alerts hit me whenever they want, I created what I call notification zones. These are blocks of time when I actually check the apps I muted.
- Morning coffee = email and work chat check
- Lunch break = Instagram scroll, message replies
- Evening wind-down = news apps, Reddit, whatever’s left
It’s not about ignoring people — it’s about not being yanked around all day by every vibration. Having specific “catch-up” times makes me feel more in control.
📱 I Group and Stack Notifications
One underrated iOS feature that changed the game for me: notification summaries.
Instead of getting 10 Slack messages in real time, I get a single summary at 12pm and 5pm. I do the same for social media. It’s a small shift, but it keeps my home screen from looking like a Vegas slot machine.
Android users can do something similar with bundled notifications and “Do Not Disturb” schedules.
🛑 I Use Do Not Disturb Religiously
From 10:30pm to 7:30am, nothing comes through unless it’s from my starred contacts (family, a couple of close friends).
Even during the day, if I’m on a walk, deep in writing, or just feeling overstimulated, I’ll flip DND on for an hour or two. No shame. People can wait. The world doesn’t end if I don’t reply instantly — and that’s a lesson I wish I’d learned sooner.
🎧 I Pair It with Real-World Noise Management
Managing digital noise only works when you also protect yourself from physical noise. Here’s what helps me stay sane in the city:
- Noise-canceling earbuds (AirPods Pro are my go-to)
- White noise app for sleep (I use Rain Rain)
- Choosing quieter routes to walk to work (yes, they exist)
- Carrying a book or Kindle so I’m not tempted to scroll every spare minute
When the world’s loud, it helps to lower your own volume first.
🧩 I Keep My Home Screen Bare
This one’s personal — but I keep zero social media apps on my home screen. Just the essentials:
- Calendar
- Maps
- Weather
- Notes
- Camera
Everything else is tucked away in folders, out of sight. Out of sight = out of mind = out of stress.
Sometimes, I’ll even delete an app for the weekend. I can always reinstall it. But the friction of having to go to the App Store stops me from doomscrolling out of habit.
🔄 I Review and Reset Every Month
Once a month (usually the first Sunday), I go into Settings and check which apps have crept back in with permissions.
- Did I let Uber send me promos again?
- Did LinkedIn sneak in alerts for job posts I don’t care about?
- Did my screen time spike for no reason?
It’s like spring cleaning, but for attention.
💬 People Understand (More Than You Think)
At first, I worried I’d come off as rude for not replying right away. But people get it. Most of us are overwhelmed. The truth is, no one notices your digital availability as much as you think they do.
And when you do respond with intention, your messages tend to be better — more thoughtful, less reactive. That alone is worth the wait.
✅ My Current Notification Rules
If you’re curious, here’s the notification setup I live by:
- Calls, texts, calendar = always on
- Banking, delivery apps = badge only
- Work apps (Slack, Teams) = summary 2x/day
- Social media = all off, check manually
- News, shopping, travel apps = off unless traveling
- DND at night + by choice during the day
It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, but it works for me. You could start with just one or two changes and see how you feel.
My Verdict
Living in a city like New York, you can’t always control the volume outside. But you can absolutely control the noise coming from your phone.
Since I started managing notifications more intentionally, I feel less anxious, more present, and — surprisingly — more productive. It’s like my brain finally has space to breathe.
You don’t need to be a minimalist or delete everything. Just take back the steering wheel. Decide when and how things reach you — and build some quiet into your own rhythm.
Written and tested by Chi Tran for 123Review.net.
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