I’ve managed to control the impulse of checking my email every 5 minutes but slack is still interrupts me one way or the other, I kinda want to switch the team to a less distracting alternative. Suggestions?
It sounds to me less like a problem with the technology but more with your habits and self discipline.<p>If Slack is interrupting you then why not just close it? And don't open it until you actually need it.<p>Another alternative will only distract you in the same way, surely.
I really like Zulip (<a href="https://zulipchat.com/" rel="nofollow">https://zulipchat.com/</a>) because it enforces threading of conversations which makes them so much easier to sort, mute, follow up with after the fact.
We moved to Twist (<a href="https://twistapp.com" rel="nofollow">https://twistapp.com</a>) a few months ago after having similar issues with Slack. Twist is more forum-like, so you avoid the "I have to jump in now" feeling that a continuous chat stream gives you.
I think Telegram (<a href="https://telegram.org/" rel="nofollow">https://telegram.org/</a>) is quite convenient for communication within a team, however, it is not such the workflow-oriented software as Slack is.
You can play with settings and see what works best for you. I don't get notifications and only read messages when I'm done doing my stuff or when I'm about to message a coworker.