Once upon a time, anyone who wanted to interrupt us at work had to make an effort. They had to pick up the phone, knock on our door, send a carrier pigeon… but in our always-online age, we’re constantly being interrupted. Emails coming in, notifications popping up, files updating, voice calls ringing and instant messages appearing. It just never ends.
It’s not that being connected is a bad thing. There’s no need to run to the postbox or refresh your email when you’re expecting big news, and waiting by the phone is a thing of the past. But sometimes you need to block out the world and get on with work for a while. It might be tempting to book a ‘holiday’ on a desert island just to get away from all the interruptions. However, we’re happy to say there’s a much less drastic solution close at hand.
Focus Assist has your back
If you’re a Windows user, the Focus Assist feature allows you to mute all notifications for a period of time to make sure that your workflow won’t be interrupted. Whether you’re doing an important task, playing a game in your time off, sharing your screen or just working in an environment where your privacy is compromised, you won’t have any inconvenient pop-ups.
In Windows 10, you’ll find Focus Assist – formerly called Quiet Hours – in the Settings menu. Just go to System and then Focus Assist, and you can turn on the feature to block notifications and alerts whenever required. In Windows 11, Focus Assist will move to the Clock App.
Smart blocking
While you can simply turn Focus Assist on and off as needed, there are also ways to customise it. If you know that you tend to need a notification-free period on certain days or at certain times, you can select During these times to make it come on automatically.
Focus Assist doesn’t have to block everything that might come in, either. You can set it to Alarms only to filter out all notifications except for – obviously – alarms, but you can also create a Priority list. This allows you to select certain contacts and notifications that should always be allowed to come through even when Focus Assist is activated.
By making the best use of Focus Assist, you can ensure that you never have to sacrifice concentration for the sake of connectivity – or miss important messages because you’re caught up in work. Whether it’s an important client, your boss, crucial project updates or a call from your other half, the contacts you choose will always be able to get hold of you.
Protecting your boundaries is a key part of working effectively, and it’s important for looking after your health, too. With Focus Assist, you can choose the alerts that matter most to you and give them priority. If this seems complex, don’t worry. A reliable IT support partner like Perigon One can help you find the ideal setup for your peace of mind. If you have any questions or would like to chat about your needs, just contact us.
