I know I could solve this problem by simply <\/span>closing Slack<\/a>, or <\/span>turning off notifications<\/a>, but that\u2019s not enough for me. Just the idea that I <\/span>could<\/i> <\/span>open Slack distracts me, and the app is always just a click away. Which is why I decided to do an experiment: block Slack entirely for a couple of hours every work day, using software that makes it impossible for me to open the app even if I want to. And I invited my coworkers to do the same.<\/p>\n For when you\u2019re not blocking Slack, you can still cut down on the time spent in the app by automating some of your Slack workflows. Here are <\/span>the best automations for Slack users<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cMy first thought on seeing this experiment was \u2018who even am I without Slack?’\u201d said Katie Redderson-Lear, Escalations Customer Champion at Zapier. \u201cSo I feel like that\u2019s a sign that I should try this.\u201d<\/p>\n Apps like Slack are essential for remote teams\u2014they really are the virtual office. But Slack is addictive in precisely the way other messaging apps are: notifications, red dots, and other features capture my attention and ensure that I spend more time in the app.<\/p>\n So it makes sense that Slack is the app I spent the most time in this month, according to the <\/span>time tracking app<\/a> on my laptop. Google Chrome, a browser I use only for work, is a close second\u2014mostly for research but also for writing and editing in Google Docs. Ulysses, the app I do first drafts in, comes third\u2014and I spend half as much time using that app as I do using Slack.<\/p>\n Not all of my Slack time is unproductive. Digging down, I\u2019d say that easily half of my Slack time is directly work-related, and another quarter tangentially so.<\/p>\n But that leaves a quarter of my Slack time just\u2026chatting. At least 10 hours a month, probably. This isn\u2019t a bad thing, necessarily\u2014small talk at work is healthy<\/a>, and it\u2019s particularly important in the era of social distancing when I\u2019m more <\/span>starved than ever for social interaction<\/a>. But right now, the balance is off. I also know that the existence of Slack makes it hard for me to focus on writing.<\/p>\n [Read: How Netflix shapes mainstream culture, explained by data<\/span><\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n This isn\u2019t about whether Slack is good or bad for productivity\u2014ultimately, Slack is just a tool. This is about examining how we use a particular tool, then making adjustments so that it works better for us. It turns out that, to use Slack well, I need to block it when it\u2019s time to focus. If you feel the same way, here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n There are plenty of <\/span>apps to help you focus and block distractions<\/a>. For this experiment, we used the Mac app SelfControl<\/a> <\/span>because it\u2019s free and nearly impossible to undo.<\/p>\n These apps all work the similarly: you add a list of domains to block, set a timer, and then have no choice but to wait out the clock. To block Slack, you need to block \u201cslack.com\u201d and your particular Slack subdomain (for example, \u201czapier.slack.com\u201d). Make sure you also close Slack\u2014in some cases notifications still come in, meaning you\u2019ll see incoming messages but won\u2019t be able to respond. That\u2019s basically torture\u2014and the opposite of the point.<\/p>\n My usual routine is to block out two or three hours on my calendar. I ensure that all research is done ahead of time, particularly anything that I need to ask coworkers about. Then, when my focus block comes up, I close Slack and block it using Self Control. I usually also block Twitter, too, just for good measure\u2014add any apps that you tend to lose time to.<\/p>\n The nice thing about Self Control is that it\u2019s impossible to undo: short of reinstalling your OS, you aren\u2019t going to access Slack on your computer after you click the <\/span>Start<\/strong> <\/span>button\u2014at least, not until the timer runs out.<\/p>\n The specifics are going to vary depending on what software you use, but here are some tips we learned that are useful for every platform.<\/p>\n Do your research ahead of time.<\/strong> <\/span>You don\u2019t want to run into a situation where there\u2019s some question you don\u2019t have the answer for because you won\u2019t be able to ask your coworkers. For me, this meant outlining an entire article, with quotes and research, ahead of time.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Block out time on your calendar.<\/strong> <\/span>It\u2019s easy to keep Slack open just because, so be intentional. Schedule unplugged time\u2014block it out on your calendar if you have to. Set an intention and stick to it.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Record questions you want to ask later<\/strong>, so you don\u2019t need to ask questions on Slack mid-process. If you do have questions, put them in a document to ask later.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Set a status on Slack<\/strong> letting your coworkers know you\u2019re going to be offline. I have <\/span>an automation set up<\/a> that puts \u201cwriting\u201d as my status when I block out writing time using Google Calendar.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Put your phone in a different room<\/strong>. Consider also turning off all notifications. If you hear Slack messages coming in, you\u2019re going to wonder what\u2019s going on, and that alone will be distracting. You might even get up and check Slack on your phone. Remove that temptation entirely.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n A few of my coworkers blocked Slack with me. How was it? In a word, liberating.<\/p>\n \u201cI disabled Slack for an hour today, and it was very freeing,\u201d said Eileen Ruberto, Senior UX Researcher at Zapier.<\/p>\n Deb Tennen, my editor, agreed.<\/p>\n \u201cI got more done in 11 minutes than I get done in an hour with Slack open,\u201d Deb said. \u201cKnowing that I literally couldn\u2019t check Slack, even if I wanted to, helped get me into focus mode. There are plenty of times I don\u2019t check Slack for an hour, but even knowing it\u2019s there distracts me and brings me out of my zone.\u201d<\/p>\n I relate to this a lot. Sometimes I\u2019ll get stuck while writing and open Slack, more out of reflex than anything else. When Slack is blocked, I can\u2019t do that, so I don\u2019t even try opening it. Just knowing that I can\u2019t access Slack makes it easier to focus. That, in turn, can lead to a kind of momentum after the clock expires.<\/p>\n \u201cI ended up working with Slack closed for an additional two hours, without the block, because I was in the zone,\u201d said Eileen.<\/p>\n I feel the same way. I just got through a two-hour blocked session, but am now wrapping up this article instead of checking what I missed.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t all upsides, though. The main problem we ran into was predictable: sometimes you don\u2019t know something, and need to ask a coworker for help. The solution was simple enough.<\/p>\n \u201cI was afraid that I\u2019d need to look something up in Slack,\u201d Eileen said. \u201cThere were a couple of things I absentmindedly tried to check Slack for, but then I just jotted them down to handle them later.\u201d<\/p>\n Another problem was the all-too-human capacity to find new distractions.<\/p>\n \u201cAt first I thought Slack was still working, even though it wasn\u2019t, so I wasted at least 10 minutes poking around to see if I could still get into it,\u201d Katie said. She continued:<\/p>\n I was trying to finish my Friday update and go through some feedback on a doc to make updates. I finished the update, but learned I\u2019m very good at finding other distractions\u2014apparently Slack is not my only problem, I\u2019ve now also blocked Twitter and Google Calendar (maybe I am the real problem, honestly.)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n We are all our own biggest problems. Blocking Slack doesn\u2019t solve the problem of feeling distracted\u2014no software tool can do that. But doing something like blocking Slack, or any other tool that ends up being distracting, can help build the habit of <\/span>deep work<\/a>. Blocking is just a tool you can use in order to build the habit.<\/p>\n This didn\u2019t fix everything about my habits, but it did give me enough momentum to finish this article. It can probably help you too. Give it a try, and let us know if it works.<\/p>\nSlack is fuzzy \u2014 and that\u2019s the problem<\/h2>\n
How to block Slack<\/h2>\n
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The surprising freedom of not being able to chat<\/h2>\n
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