The Verge at Work is a series about process. We’re not scientists, and we’re not gurus, we’re just trying to get some work done. The solutions presented here are highly personal, and highly personalized. Not the only way, but our way.

Stay focused. Attention is the new currency. We’re told over and over to minimize our digital distractions, that it’s the only way to get anything done. But what if instead of constantly fighting them, we could find a way to come to peace with the rising tide of notifications for texts, emails, weather, Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook, Snapchat, and countless other services? There are some options on your desktop, but on your phone you’re distracted no matter what the type of notification is.

You can either ignore each beep and buzz in your pocket, burying into your mind as you suppress the urge to check, or pull your phone out every time. Which, increasingly, is a lot of mental fighting, when the simple reality is that sometimes you should look, and sometimes you shouldn’t. The smartwatch has emerged as a perfect solution for those sometimes.