To solve challenging problems, you need the space and time to do deep, uninterrupted work.
Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. -<a href="http://calnewport.com/books/deep-work/">Cal Newport, Deep Work</a>
Twist can help with this. Here are some tips to use Twist to reduce distractions, increase focus and do your very best work.
<h2>Snooze your notifications</h2>
Twist is incredible for active, collaborative teamwork. It’s also a tool that has been mindfully designed to help people unplug and dive into their work for uninterrupted periods of time.
In Twist, you can easily <a href="https://get.twist.help/hc/en-us/articles/115003653529-Snooze-notifications-for-a-set-time">snooze your notifications</a> and spend a couple of hours focusing on a project to achieve that state of deep work. Since Twist promotes asynchronous communication, you won’t be left with the gnawing fear of missing something important.
You can also <a href="https://get.twist.help/hc/en-us/articles/115003653549-Scheduled-Snooze-settings">schedule snoozing</a> so that you won’t receive any notifications during specific times of the day (from 9:00am to 11:30am, for example), or for entire days of the week, like Saturday and Sunday. This way, you can always focus on your important work during the time of day that you’re most productive, say right after your morning coffee, or after you’ve put the kids to bed.
“...if you keep interrupting your evening to check and respond to e-mail, or put aside a few hours after dinner to catch up on an approaching deadline, you’re robbing your directed attention centers of the uninterrupted rest they need for restoration. Even if these work dashes consume only a small amount of time, they prevent you from reaching the levels of deeper relaxation in which attention restoration can occur.” -<a href="http://calnewport.com/books/deep-work/">Cal Newport, Deep Work</a>
<h2>Turn off specific notifications</h2>
In Twist, you can <a href="https://get.twist.help/hc/en-us/articles/115003653509">manage which notifications you receive on which platforms</a>, and turn off the ones that are the most distracting. This is helpful so that even when you’re doing work that doesn’t require you to fully snooze your notifications, you’ll still be able to stay in a focused state.
For instance, you can turn off your mobile notifications so your phone isn’t buzzing throughout the day.
<h2>Don’t respond right away</h2>
Twist was founded upon the principles of asynchronous communication. This means that there’s no expectation for anyone to reply to a comment right away. Threads provide the space for ongoing, detailed discussions which is why it’s important that you take the time to respond thoughtfully, rather than rush a response.
Real-time habits are hard to break– we can empathize! But as your organization starts to adopt a more asynchronous culture, you’ll notice a calmer, more thoughtful work environment where the first idea doesn’t always win.
Staying focused is easier when you know that you don’t have to respond in the moment. You’re not going to miss out on anything important since threads will always be there for you to digest, comment on, and eventually refer back to.

How to use Twist to do Deep Work