Airplane Mode as Focus Tool

I started putting my phone on airplane mode during study sessions. The difference in my concentration is noticeable enough that I now do it reflexively when I sit down at the library. Like putting on headphones, but for my brain. One swipe in the control center kills WiFi, cellular, and Bluetooth all at once. The silence that follows feels like pressure being released from a room. I keep the phone face-down on the table so I can't even see the blank screen. After about 15 minutes, the urge to check fades and I enter a focus state that lasts until I decide to come back. Airplane mode was made for a completely different purpose, compliance on flights. But it turns out the same feature satisfying an FAA regulation also satisfies my need to stop being interrupted. No app, no subscription, no productivity hack from a blog. Just a switch that already exists on every phone. The plane icon on the status bar reminds me it's on, and that tiny symbol has become a visual cue associated with getting work done. Turning it off after 2 hours and watching the notifications flood in is a good reminder of how much noise was trying to reach me while I was gone.