The one iPhone feature I use to calm my raging anxiety

I have a lot of anxiety. Just, like, mountains of it. 

It made having a phone almost impossible, until I found a solution. 

For years, the barrage of pings and push notifications that can come with a cell phone made my situation much worse. I would grow so irritated or upset when notifications got away from me, and I couldn't keep up with messages or prompts.

I remember getting so frustrated that I'd purposely separate myself from my phone for hours or days at a time, unwilling to remain at the mercy of a device that constantly demanded attention that I could not give. 

Periodic dings were fine. But when notifications started swarming in, it made my blood pressure rise, my breathing quicken, and I got panicked in a very uncomfortable way.  Read more...