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I also have family and responsibilities. But I am very careful whom I give unfettered access to my attention.

copperx 4y ago
Everybody who depends on you directly (partner, children, parents, and extended family) should be on you VIP contact list and have direct access to you. I find that reduces my anxiety. I don't get distracted by notifications, or the thought that someone might be dying and trying to reach me.
- ge96 4y ago
  Just commenting about phone calls I have stranger phone call anxiety and the other thing is spam/scam calls. Which thankfully my phone has been good at flagging/blocking. Regarding notifications I used to have phones that either had LED blinking indicators or sound/beeping ahh, crazy used to just drop what I was doing to check it.
  - copperx 4y ago
    What are the odds? A couple of hours after I posted my comment above I got a WhatsApp message saying that my aunt was in the ICU. She died minutes later. This stuff happens.
andrewljohnson 4y ago
The issue for me is, for example, my wife drops my kid off for a camp and then the camp calls me in an emergency. So I can’t just only take notifications from known callers.
- NRv9tR 4y ago
  You can do this. I do. Known numbers only and whitelist school, doctor, etc. If you really wanted to go further you could have a second number via google voice you only give to those places. Maybe even tie notifications on that to your calendar where you put your kids events.
  - andrewljohnson 4y ago
    I just can’t… it might be some counselor’s random cell phone calling me. Plus the kids go to many camps per summer, and many activities during the year, so I’d be constantly updating my phone book even if not for the main issue.
    - layer8 4y ago
      Kids survived perfectly fine in the past without their parents being available 24/7.
      - happimess 4y ago
        Many summer camps require that you be available to retrieve your kid if e.g. they start showing Covid symptoms. I'd love to drop them off and forget about it, believe me.
        lodovic 4y ago
        But you can still let these people contact you, just not real-time. An hour or two delay should be perfectly acceptable. When they're on camp far away, does it really matter?
        happimess 4y ago
        these are day-camps.
      - andrewljohnson 4y ago
        It seems disrespectful to my wife and the camps to refuse to be available for emergencies.
      - misterprime 4y ago
        The kids that survived, survived perfectly fine. The kids that didn't survive were buried and no longer interact with us.
- rnotaro 4y ago
  On most recent version of Android, they have a whitelist feature where repeat callers (2 times withing 15 minutes) can bypass DoNotDisturb. Only my close family are whitelisted. Most time people call twice during an emergency. You could also say to call back again in case of emergency in your voicemail message.

Everybody who depends on you directly (partner, children, parents, and extended family) should be on you VIP contact list and have direct access to you. I find that reduces my anxiety. I don't get distracted by notifications, or the thought that someone might be dying and trying to reach me.

ge96 4y ago
Just commenting about phone calls I have stranger phone call anxiety and the other thing is spam/scam calls. Which thankfully my phone has been good at flagging/blocking. Regarding notifications I used to have phones that either had LED blinking indicators or sound/beeping ahh, crazy used to just drop what I was doing to check it.
- copperx 4y ago
  What are the odds? A couple of hours after I posted my comment above I got a WhatsApp message saying that my aunt was in the ICU. She died minutes later. This stuff happens.

andrewljohnson 4y ago

The issue for me is, for example, my wife drops my kid off for a camp and then the camp calls me in an emergency. So I can’t just only take notifications from known callers.

NRv9tR 4y ago
You can do this. I do. Known numbers only and whitelist school, doctor, etc. If you really wanted to go further you could have a second number via google voice you only give to those places. Maybe even tie notifications on that to your calendar where you put your kids events.
- andrewljohnson 4y ago
  I just can’t… it might be some counselor’s random cell phone calling me. Plus the kids go to many camps per summer, and many activities during the year, so I’d be constantly updating my phone book even if not for the main issue.
  - layer8 4y ago
    Kids survived perfectly fine in the past without their parents being available 24/7.
    - happimess 4y ago
      Many summer camps require that you be available to retrieve your kid if e.g. they start showing Covid symptoms. I'd love to drop them off and forget about it, believe me.
      - lodovic 4y ago
        But you can still let these people contact you, just not real-time. An hour or two delay should be perfectly acceptable. When they're on camp far away, does it really matter?
        happimess 4y ago
        these are day-camps.
    - andrewljohnson 4y ago
      It seems disrespectful to my wife and the camps to refuse to be available for emergencies.
    - misterprime 4y ago
      The kids that survived, survived perfectly fine. The kids that didn't survive were buried and no longer interact with us.
rnotaro 4y ago
On most recent version of Android, they have a whitelist feature where repeat callers (2 times withing 15 minutes) can bypass DoNotDisturb. Only my close family are whitelisted. Most time people call twice during an emergency. You could also say to call back again in case of emergency in your voicemail message.