How are you dealing with information overload in 2025? I'm drowning

Question

Honestly, I'm losing my mind. 5 work chats, 3 personal messengers, 8 social apps, news alerts, AI notifications, subscription updates, streams, podcasts, newsletters, "must-watch" videos... my brain is literally melting. Used to just turn off my phone on weekends, but now I'm freelancing and scared to miss important clients. Started having actual anxiety attacks from notification sounds. Even my sleep app keeps waking me up with "sleep insights." Anyone found a system that actually works? Or some tech/method to filter the important stuff without missing opportunities? Does digital minimalism even exist anymore or are we all just doomed to information burnout?

Lerox · Answer

started using an old-school paper planner for priorities. everything that doesn't make it onto that physical page doesn't exist to me. saved my sanity last quarter

ksdm · Answer

went nuclear last month - deleted all socials, email only checked 3x daily, notifications completely off for everything except direct calls. withdrawal was brutal first week but sleeping better than i have in years

archi999 · Answer

Turns out noise cancelling earplugs + sensory deprivation tank once a week does wonders. Literally paying money to experience nothing for 90 minutes and it's worth every penny

ledi x · Answer

switched to a dumbphone mon-thurs. can't handle cold turkey but those 4 days of peace keep me functional. everything important gets handled friday-sunday

sanktum2012 · Answer

implemented attention triage: tier 1 - immediate response (boss, partner, kids). tier 2 - twice daily checks (important clients). tier 3 - once daily (friends). tier 4 - weekends only (entertainment). everything else gets archived unread

rik1111 · Answer

paying my nephew $20/week to filter my notifications and emails. kid now knows all my weird secrets but too awkward to blackmail me. win-win fr 💀

ttalli · Answer

Created a reward system where i get 10 mins of doomscrolling for every 50 mins of focused work. Brain now treats information like dessert instead of main course

weren&#39;t · Answer

bought one of those timed lockboxes for my devices. phone goes in from 8pm-8am daily. first week felt like detoxing from hard drugs but now i'm sleeping again

teia · Answer

dopamine detox weekends changed everything. 48 hours monthly with zero screens. feels like mental defragmentation for humans

a3rO · Answer

Rotating apps method saved me. Monday: twitter only. Tuesday: instagram only. Wednesday:&nbsp;tiktok only. etc. fomo completely disappeared after first month

TTTany · Answer

found that PMC study bout information overload at 2am doomscrolling lol. implemented their batching method + cognitive breaks. brain actually works again?? stopped having panic attacks when i hear notification sounds so thats a W

none1 · Answer

Joined a "slow information" community. We read one book a month, discuss weekly in person, zero online component. Intellectual satisfaction without the overload

nordland10000 · Answer

tried microdosing mushrooms to calm my info-anxiety. now my phone notifications seem hilariously unimportant compared to conversations with my houseplants. side effect: convinced my roomba has consciousness. still more productive than before though

HDD · Answer

tried every app and system out there but nothing worked until i addressed the root cause - fear of missing out. therapy helped me realize constant connection was anxiety self-medication