Research: How Notifications Impact Mental Health

Feb 28, 2025

Explore how smartphone notifications impact mental health, work productivity, and sleep quality, along with tips to regain control.

Notifications are overwhelming our mental health. On average, U.S. smartphone users receive 46 push notifications daily, disrupting focus, increasing stress, and triggering anxiety. Here's what you need to know:

Disruptions: Notifications interrupt tasks, taking 23 minutes to refocus after each distraction.
Mental Health Effects: Alerts can cause stress, anxiety, depression, and even phantom vibrations.
Work Productivity: Frequent interruptions double error rates and reduce daily productive work to just 2.8 hours.
Sleep Impact: Nighttime notifications harm sleep quality and overall well-being.

Quick Tips to Take Control:

Adjust Settings: Use "Do Not Disturb" or Focus modes to batch notifications.
Use Helpful Apps: Apps like Pausa can help track and manage digital stress.
Build Better Habits: Create device-free zones and check notifications only at set times.

Constant alerts are harming our mental health, but small changes can make a big difference. Read on to learn how notifications affect you and ways to regain control.

How Smartphones Sabotage Your Brain's Ability to Focus

Research Data: How Notifications Change Our Behavior

This section explores how constant notifications impact our mental state and behavior, building on earlier insights about disruptions caused by digital alerts.

Mental Stress from Too Many Alerts

Research highlights how notifications can lead to stress across various age groups. For instance, 70% of baby boomers and 40% of millennials in UK office settings report experiencing anxiety tied to notifications [3]. Similarly, 90% of Gen Z participants in Australia report feeling the same [3].

BACP Psychotherapist Kamalyn Kaur explains:

"The unpredictability of notifications creates a sense of uncertainty which can trigger anxiety. When a phone buzzes or a notification pops up, you have no idea who it is or what it will be about." [3]

Effects on Work and Concentration

Notification interruptions have a measurable impact on productivity and focus. Here’s what studies reveal:

| Impact Area | Effect |
| --- | --- |
| Error Rate | Doubles during frequent interruptions |
| Daily Productive Work | Drops to just 2.8 hours |
| Focus Duration | Task switching every 6 minutes on average |
| Mental Load | Increased stress, fatigue, and anxiety

A 2019 RescueTime study found that workers are interrupted or switch tasks every 6 minutes, leaving them with only 2 hours and 48 minutes of truly productive work each day [4]. This issue affects 77% of employees and 71% of managers [4].

Rhonda Y. Williams, CEO of Above the Grind Leadership, notes:

"Data indicates that minimizing interruptions can enhance productivity and reduce stress and anxiety." [4]

The disruptions don’t stop at work - they spill over into personal time, often affecting sleep and overall well-being.

Night Notifications and Sleep Quality

After-hours notifications take a toll on mental health and sleep quality. Madeline Grecek, Senior Manager at Remote, advises:

"Employees are encouraged to mute notifications outside work hours to support family time and maintain work-life balance." [4]

Research also shows that even the sound of a smartphone notification can harm cognitive performance, whether or not the device is actively in use [5]. This effect is more pronounced in individuals with higher smartphone dependency, who exhibit slower response times when exposed to frequent notification sounds [5].

To address these challenges, many companies now implement quiet hours and "do not disturb" settings in their tools to help employees maintain boundaries and protect their mental health [4].

3 Ways to Control Notifications

Tired of constant pings and alerts? You’re not alone. Here are three ways you can take back control of your notifications and reduce the stress they bring.

Adjusting Notification Settings

Fine-tuning your notification settings can make a big difference in reducing distractions and staying focused. Here's how you can manage them on iOS and Android:

| Setting Type | iOS Action | Android Action |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Priority Alerts | Schedule a notification summary | Use alerting or silent notifications |
| Time Management | Set Focus modes for specific times | Configure Do Not Disturb schedules |
| App Control | Group notifications into stacks | Swipe to snooze or dismiss |
| Lock Screen | Choose count, stack, or list view | Hide sensitive content

"It is helpful if you allocate regular time in your day to manage your work and information related tasks such as emails, switching off notifications when you are not doing this. Constant interruption impairs your concentration and takes away from being present in the moment whether it is work or pleasure related." [7]

Apps That Support Mental Health

In addition to tweaking your device settings, certain apps can help you manage notification-related stress. For example, an 8-week study of MindScape showed measurable improvements: a 7% increase in positive feelings, an 11% drop in negative emotions, and a 6% decrease in loneliness [6].

Another helpful tool is Pausa, an AI-powered journaling app. It uses personalized insights and structured reflection to help users process digital stress. By analyzing behavioral patterns with AI, it offers context-aware journaling that helps you better understand and improve your tech habits.

Creating Healthier Digital Habits

Long-term success comes from building better digital habits. These tips can help you maintain focus and reduce anxiety:

Batch non-urgent notifications and check them only at specific times [8].
Designate device-free zones to improve focus and promote relaxation [8].
Set clear rules for distinguishing urgent from non-urgent contacts [9].

Find what works best for you and revisit your strategies regularly to stay on track.

Next Steps in Notification Research

Research continues to explore the connection between notifications and mental stress, with new areas highlighting the need for deeper, long-term studies.

Long-term Impact Studies

On average, people receive anywhere from 60 to 80 notifications daily, with some users seeing as many as 200 alerts [10]. Long-term studies are essential to understand how this constant flow of notifications affects cognitive function. There's even potential evidence suggesting a link to early-onset dementia [1], which warrants closer investigation.

Cross-generational Analysis

| Age Group | Phone Anxiety Rate |
| --- | --- |
| Generation Z | Up to 90% |
| Millennials | 40% |
| Baby Boomers | 70

These statistics [3] show that notification-related anxiety varies widely by age. Tailored strategies are necessary to address the unique stressors faced by each generation.

Workplace Impact Assessment

Research should also focus on how workplace notification policies affect employee stress levels [11]. Companies might reduce stress by reevaluating how and when notifications are sent within their organizations [11].

AI-Driven Solutions

AI offers promising ways to improve notification systems:

Boost engagement by up to 4 times with personalized alerts [12].
Increase response rates by 40% through AI-optimized timing [13].
Enhance retention rates by 35% using smart segmentation [12].

These data points suggest that AI can make notifications more effective and less intrusive.

Research Methodology Improvements

Future studies should adopt a more thorough approach, including:

Testing the effects of complete notification bans.
Using diverse participant groups.
Relying on objective smartphone usage logs.
Measuring state anxiety levels.
Considering the role of social norms in notification habits [11].

These steps will provide a clearer picture and help develop better tech-based solutions.

Emerging Technology Integration

New technologies could help balance staying connected while reducing notification-related stress. With 39% of users reporting frustration from poorly timed notifications [12], there's a clear need for smarter, more user-friendly delivery systems.

Summary and Action Steps

Getting bombarded with 60–80 notifications daily (or even up to 200) can seriously affect your stress levels, increase anxiety, and make it harder to stay focused [10]. But there are ways to take back control and feel more in charge of your digital life.

Here’s how you can manage notifications and reduce their impact:

Set Clear Notification Boundaries
Create "notification-free" times in the evening to help you relax and get better sleep [2]. Instead of reacting instantly, set specific times to check your devices.
Use Technology Mindfully
Group notifications together and turn on "Do Not Disturb" or "Focus Mode" during work hours to avoid constant interruptions [10].
Practice Digital Wellness
Avoid endless scrolling to save mental energy. Take short breaks to refocus and stay in control [10].
Monitor Mental Health Impact
Studies suggest checking social media in 15-minute intervals can lower anxiety [14]. Apps like Pausa (https://pausa.co) can help you track your notification habits and mood.
Build Sustainable Habits

Gradual changes work better than quitting all at once. As one expert puts it:
"If you try to go cold turkey, your imagination of what might be happening tends to be worse than what actually is happening" [14].

Start small, experiment, and find what works best for you. These steps can help you stay connected while protecting your mental health.