get stuff done with these 5 digital boundaries

Aug 2

adhd focus hacks for entrepreneurs & creators

i’m an adhd entrepreneur and here are 5 digital boundaries that help me stay focused and get shit done!

one of the most rewarding self care things i’ve done over the past 4 years as a full time solo entrepreneur is to set digital boundaries.

i realized these boundaries are an absolute necessity for me and my adhd brain if i want to maintain any sense of a fulfilling life, both personally and within my business.

here’s the thing — as much as i’d love to, i can’t shut my brain off - so if i see a work related notification on my phone, it plagues me and i’m not able to rest until i take care of it. this is where the digital boundaries come in. they safeguard me against getting derailed by my own brain.

and yeah, they felt kinda hard to put in place at first, but i’ve been practicing them for awhile and now they’re second nature and they are SO worth it.

in this video, i go over:

iphone focus modes
pop up notifications
out of sight, out of mind
work email
adhd self care notion dashboard
texts

phone focus modes

my fav phone feature is Apple iPhone Focus modes - i have these set up on schedules so i don’t even have to think about it - it’s automatic! these block out any notifications so my phone never buzzes and interrupts me while i’m working. i’ve got the different focus modes optimized for different times of the day: do not disturb while i’m sleeping which blocks out everything - including limiting my screens down to just one homescreen with specific widgets on it, and work focus which blocks out any incoming notifications during my workday.

pop up notifications

i have all pop up and red badge notifications turned off on apps (except messages, phone calls, and reminders). this way, if i want to see if there’s anything waiting for me in an app (say instagram) i have to set intentional time to go into the app to discover what’s waiting for me in there. so if i do look at my phone, i don’t get sidetracked by any shiny little red dots

out of sight, out of mind

i hide my iphone while i’m sitting at my desk - this is something i learned in a creative mornings fieldtrip on doing deep work by caveday. it’s playing to the out of sight, out of mind. because even just seeing a phone out the corner of my eye diverts attention away from what i’m focusing on. if my phone has to be out for some reason - i lay it face down so i can’t see the screen and be tempted by the anticipation of something showing up on it.

work email

i don’t have work email on my phone - which ensures that i’m only looking at email on my computer during work time. and i don’t open my email unless i’m fully prepared to work on emails. i used to find myself opening my email all throughout the day, in between tasks, or any time i was trying to distract myself. by setting aside dedicated email time, it allows me to stay more focused on the things i actually need to focus on and to have better focus on my emails when it’s time to take care of them

adhd self care notion dashboard

before we get to the 5th tip, i wanna tell you a lil bit about my adhd self care dashboard | notion template.

it’s a digital portal into self care and empowerment for folx with adhd

it includes:

💭 intention setting space: for helping you stay focused on the vibes you wanna embody in your life

reminders that help you celebrate & feel proud of yourself
motivational inspiration: for shots of dopamine every time you visit the page!
daily medication checkboxes: who doesn’t love checking a box when they’ve completed something?!
🧰 self care ideas toolkit: to help you regulate your nervous system
progress & medication tracker: so you don’t have to try to remember all your health details off the top of your head anymore & you have an easy reference log to look back on!

this isn’t just a dashboard. it’s a portal into living a life of ease where you feel proud of your unique & beautiful brain and all the magical ways you show up in the world.

grab the template at the button below!

adhd self care notion dashboard

work texts

here we are at the final digital boundary - which is my favorite and also felt like one of the hardest to put into place - because of people pleasing tendencies and shitty societal expectations to always be available - but i don’t do any client or work related communication via text. instead, i use specific apps like email or slack. which, as i said before, i don’t get notifications on my phone for and only check them when i’m at my desk during my work hours. i do this because there’s no way for me to separate out business from personal texts… and i know how my brain works. it will not leave me alone if i see something work related in there - no matter what i do. so i realized i needed to completely remove all work related tasks from that personal space on my phone. and articulate that i’m only available during my set work hours. that felt hard to me at first because i didn’t think that clients or colleagues would be ok with it - but the great news is that when i confidently say that this is how i work, i’ve only ever received complete encouragement and support! and honestly, anyone who would give me a hard time about it wouldn’t be the people i’d want to collaborate with anyway.

those 5 digital boundaries are absolute musts for me to keep myself sane, to allow me to live my life with more ease and joy, and to stay focused and get shit done. they’re something i can practice that allows me to work with my beautiful adhd brain instead of working against it and having a hard time.

if you’re looking to foster that kind of relationship with your adhd - check out the adhd self care dashboard at the link in the description.

i’d love to hear how you use digital boundaries. or if you’re gonna give any of these a try. lmk in the comments on the video.

thanks so much for being here and subscribing to my channel. i’ll see you in the next one