7 Ultimate Ways to Customise Your Smartphone for Success

1. Fear Alarm
Not one we often think about but can have a drastic impact on our health. Overcoming fear is difficult when we customise our own device to make us jump first thing in the morning. Research here shows traditional alarm noises are not good for us. Who wants more fear in their life anyway? Want suggestions:

• If your lifestyle allows for it or if you're able to get to bed early, try waking up without tech. Complete the sleep cycle and you'll also be gadget free.
• Get a Sun alarm clock: This one uses artificial sun light to wake you up without the horrid sound of of an alarm clock.
• Set your ringtone to progressive mode. You can use third-party apps on Android if you can't find the default settings. In IOS Apple has it hidden in the Bedtime feature next to Alarm.

2. Turn Off Notifications
Buzzing apps distract our focus and momentum. A way around this would be to turn off all the notifications. If you want you can keep your messaging app enabled and the rest turned off. This way you're in charge of allowing your phone to bother you but only when you want to.
IOS
Settings> Notifications> Click on each app and then use the slider to turn it off
Android
Settings> Sound and notification> App notification > 'Block' the apps you don't need.

For android users there is more information on this site.  

3. Email and social block
This research shows that we use our phones for over five hours a day, checking and refreshing it again and again. That habit eats into our time throughout the day. Scheduling an hour in the day will help us batch the email sends and social browsing. Hour might seem long at first but it's better than spending five. Although you may choose any time you want, a tip would be to set a time after you've done the most critical task in the day.

4. Idea Homescreen
If you're someone who gets distracted by their phone, then this one is for you. Move non-urgent apps to the second screen and prevent icons from distracting you.
Yes! It is possible for an icon to seduce you to open it. That's their job. Your screen could look something like this:

1st Screen
Essential apps (Mail, Maps, Messages, WhatsApp etc)

2nd Screen: Non-essential apps (Games, Dating, Social, etc)
Doing this allows you to take the seducing/ marketing power away from your phone and back in your control. Or, you could group them together in a folder.

5. Prime Spot
Getting rid of social media from our life is never the aim. Being in control of what makes us happy is. Based on algorithms Facebook decides what to display every time you run it. Bypass the algorithms and tell Facebook exactly what type of content you prefer. From within your favourite groups tap the 'Following' and choose 'See first'. Make your social treat more rewarding by customising your feeds. Change it as your interest changes.

6. Cloud Purge
If you have unused apps that you haven't used for a few weeks, it may be a good idea to delete them. There is no need to hold onto an app when we don't use it. Download it onto your phone in minutes when you need them again. Restore battery health, speed up your phone and get to apps you want.

7. Do Not Disturb Zone
There are going to be times when you want to turn off the phone and get on with some work. Placing your phone on a pillow can help you tracks calls and messages. With many things demanding our attention, the real struggle is to focus on a few things that matter. Taking back control and attention can help you be more productive in short amount of time.