Why I turned notifications back on, even though I know they ruin concentration

The author explores their journey with digital distractions, initially following productivity advice to disable all notifications and badges to maintain focus. Despite these efforts, the author realized that these distractions gradually crept back into their workflow. The piece examines the psychological tendency to revert to habits known to be counterproductive. Citing a 2015 study by Cary Stothart, the author highlights that even receiving a notification—without interacting with it—significantly impairs cognitive performance and attention. The article encourages readers to critically evaluate their notification management strategies, considering not just the annoyance factor, but the genuine impact these interruptions have on the productivity of modern office workers dealing with constant multitasking.