Tired of constant phone distractions at work? Mamaearth's Ghazal Alagh's 'landline method' might just change it

Ever feel like your phone is hijacking your brain? You’re not alone. Mamaearth co-founder Ghazal Alagh recently shared how she beat the buzzing, pinging, attention-stealing device that lives in our pockets. Instead of chasing more hustle, she found productivity in a surprisingly old-school trick. Her method doesn’t involve fancy apps or digital detox retreats — just a simple shift that could give your focus the reset it desperately needs.

Alagh admitted she often caught herself thinking about notifications instead of solutions, leaving her mind scattered when it needed to be sharp. To fix it, she started treating her phone like a landline. That meant leaving it on her desk during meetings and never keeping it in her pocket during important conversations. The result? Immediate clarity and the ability to give her full attention to meaningful work.

Backing up her experiment is some eye-opening research. She shared that a study revealed that the average attention span dropped from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to just 47 seconds today. It also takes around 23 minutes to refocus after a phone interruption. Even worse, just having your phone nearby — even if it’s switched off — reduces cognitive capacity by about 10%.

Alagh calls this her mindset hack. Her advice: try the landline method, even if it’s only for a day. By keeping your phone physically distant during your most important activities, you’ll be reclaiming your focus from a device that was engineered to shrink it.


Netizens react
Users loved Ghazal Alagh’s take on the “landline method,” calling it a refreshing reminder that productivity isn’t about doing more but about focusing better. Many said they’ve noticed how much more present and efficient they feel when their phones aren’t glued to their hands. Some shared that keeping devices out of reach during deep work has helped them stay calmer and sharper. Others were struck by the stat that it takes 23 minutes to refocus after a ping, admitting it explains why so much of the day feels like recovery mode. A few even said batching phone checks made a huge difference, turning meetings, deep work, and creative thinking into more spacious, uninterrupted sessions.