Notifications
Mute prompts and promotional cues that repeatedly arrive at difficult times.
Speed · access · impulse
Digital life & money
Phones and payments compress time. A cue can become an action in seconds. Good digital design restores a pause without pretending that blocking an app or card is a complete treatment plan.
Last reviewed: 6 August 2026
The shortest digital route
Find where speed removes the pause
Contacts
Reduce easy access to high-risk contacts where appropriate and move support contacts to favourites.
Saved payments
Removing stored card details can turn one tap into several steps and create useful delay.
High-risk apps
Move, block, self-exclude or remove applications that repeatedly shorten the route from urge to action.
Night-time use
Charge the phone away from bed, use focus settings or create a clear cut-off that supports sleep.
Support shortcuts
Use the same device for reminders, support, music, learning, maps and quick access to safer alternatives.
Fast route audit
Notifications
Where speed can increase pressure
Repeated prompts can arrive before you have chosen to think about the behaviour.
Try adding a pause
Mute, unfollow or schedule non-essential notifications around difficult times.
Open the full digital reset →Money friction
A delay can be a design feature
Money arriving can become a predictable high-risk window. Planning essentials before that window, using available transaction controls, separating spending, reducing instant credit or creating a delay can give the next decision more time.
- Identify the riskiest time around payday, weekends or late-night spending.
- Set up essentials while things are calm.
- Use blocks, limits or delays only where they are appropriate and chosen.
- Pair restriction with debt, budgeting or practical support when needed.
Not every repetitive behaviour is the same
Digital design can amplify several different patterns
Gambling, shopping, gaming, streaming, scrolling and online supply all use different mechanisms and carry different risks. Infinite feeds, autoplay, personalised prompts, bonuses, saved payments and private access can make repetition fast and continuous.
Evidence links
Sources and further reading
Free tools
Redesign the fastest route
Use a short digital reset or build a money friction plan in your browser.