The Daily Barrage
Ever feel like the world is yelling at you all the time? Like every waking moment, someone, somewhere, wants a piece of your attention?
I don’t know about you, but my brain feels like it’s been hijacked by a relentless barrage of messages. Phone calls, texts, emails, Teams, WhatsApp, Signal, FaceTime, X (seriously, what the hell happened to Twitter?), LinkedIn, Slack—it’s like a digital circus on steroids, and I’m the clown juggling notifications. The worst part? There’s no damn off switch. Just chaos, all day, every day.
Who decided this was okay? When did being “constantly reachable” become some kind of sick social contract? I don’t remember signing up for this. We’ve created a monster, and the monster is eating us alive. This isn’t just an annoyance; it’s a full-blown attack on our sanity.
The Problem with More Messages
I know I’m not alone in this, and maybe that’s the problem. Everyone’s drowning in messages, so everyone sends more messages to make sure theirs is seen. Hate to be the one to break the news, but this is not working.
Most of the messages I get are absolute garbage. Marketing fluff, sales pitches, or—my personal favorite—“Just following up on my previous email.” Yeah, Chad, I ignored your first email because it sucked. Why would the 10th one be any better? And don’t even get me started on the LinkedIn “connections” that turn into immediate sales DMs. This constant flood of crap isn’t just screwing up our schedules—it’s messing with our heads, our work, and our lives.
Let’s break it down:
1. Cognitive Overload
Your brain wasn’t built to deal with this nonsense. Every time you get yanked from one platform to another, you’re burning mental fuel. And here’s the kicker: once that tank’s empty, you’re done. Forget deep work or meaningful conversations—you’re stuck in a hamster wheel of half-assed multitasking.
2. Constant Stress
Every ding, buzz, and ping is like a tiny punch to your nervous system. What if it’s urgent? What if you’re missing something important? Congratulations, you’ve just triggered your fight-or-flight response over a LinkedIn DM. Nice.
3. Fragmented Attention
Remember when you could focus on one thing at a time? Me neither. Now, even trying to have a normal conversation feels like an Olympic sport. Message overload isn’t just stealing our time; it’s stealing our presence.
4. Burnout
Here’s the ugly truth: being “on” all the time is killing us. When everything is urgent, nothing is. And when nothing is, you’re left spinning your wheels, wondering why the hell you’re so exhausted. Spoiler alert: this is why.
How the Hell Do We Deal With This?
Alright, enough whining. Let’s talk solutions. Because as tempting as it is to yeet my phone into the ocean, that’s not exactly practical. Here’s what I’m doing to claw my sanity back—maybe it’ll help you too:
1. Set Some Damn Boundaries
Yeah, I said it. Boundaries. Decide when you’re available and when you’re not, and don’t apologize for it. I’ve started blocking out “do not disturb” time every day. No messages, no calls, no interruptions. And guess what? The apocalypse didn’t happen.
2. Kill the Platform Overload
Do you really need to be on 57 different apps? Pick a couple that matter and nuke the rest. For me, I’m still working on this. Text messages and Signal will be the place to get my attention if you’re friends and/or family, and email’s where it’s at for work shit (even though I currently have 11,774 unread emails). Everything else? F*ck it, I can’t keep up. Brutal? Maybe. Effective? I hope so, but we’ll see.
3. Turn Off the Noise
Notifications are the devil. Turn off the non-essential ones. Do you really need to know every time someone likes your Instagram post? Didn’t think so.
4. Learn to Ignore—Guilt-Free
Not every message needs an answer. Not every email deserves a reply. And guess what? The world will keep spinning if you let a few things slide. Prioritize the important stuff and let the rest rot in your inbox.
5. Tell People to Chill
Normalize not being available 24/7. Tell your coworkers, friends, and family when you’ll get back to them. Set expectations and stick to them. If they can’t handle that, well, that’s on them.
BTW, I’m still working on this one too.
6. Unplug. Seriously.
Unplugging isn’t a luxury; it’s survival. Leave your phone in another room, go for a walk, or take a day off from social media. Trust me, you’ll be fine—and your brain will thank you.
The Bigger Picture
Let’s face it: this isn’t just about you or me. Message overload is a societal dumpster fire. We’ve built this hyper-connected world, and now it’s burning us out. If we don’t start pushing back, it’s only going to get worse.
So here’s my challenge to you: take a hard look at your relationship with messages and notifications. Are they serving you, or are you serving them? If it’s the latter, it’s time to take control.
Set some boundaries. Kill the noise. Reclaim your time. And if anyone has a problem with that? Tough shit.
Stay sane out there.
-Evan
NOTE: We’ll cover this on an upcoming episode of InfoSec to Insanity.
I call it the “Info avalanche” or “text deluge”
Excellent article. Can your next one be “meeting overload”?
Great suggestion! I’ll cue it up.