Ever had the feeling it’s all too much? The constant notifications, endless scrolling, and the bad habit or urge to check your smartphone or tablet can mentally drain you to the point where you lose track and focus.
Last year, I read the book by Cal Newport, “Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World”, and it opened my eyes.
That’s also why my wife and I decided to cancel our media & entertainment subscriptions for a while to use technology with intention. Not just mindlessly consuming content, but curating our activities that can support our values and short-term goals.
I honestly wish I had read about digital minimalism sooner, especially since I work from home and remotely for almost two decades, constantly surrounded by screens and technology, in an office that almost isolated me from the outside world.
We now purposefully look around us when we go out for lunch, or realize how people walk and type with a phone in their hand, without noticing what’s happening in their surroundings.
“Were we like this, too? Yes, we were, she said.”
The more my wife and I started to embrace digital minimalism, the more we understood that there are very few rules to live by:
- Defining the value of technology
- Declutter yourself regularly
- Re-evaluate the technology you truly need
An Example Of Digital Minimalism
I use YouTube for education, researching blog topics, and I try to avoid irrelevant content. YouTube has the tendency to bombard you with YouTube shorts or tempting videos that have the intention to keep you longer the platform.
I caught myself wasting more time, unintentionally, on a device that’s meant for productivity (iPad Pro) and not for entertainment.
When that happened, I lost momentum or disengaged with my original intentions.
I decided to use an extension like Unhook that removes:
- YouTube Shorts
- Recommend videos
- Comments
- Anything that’s designed to keep you on the platform
With an approach like this, I can use tech or software with a purpose that improves my life. Eliminating low-value engagement on social media can free up mental brain space.
Benefits Of Digital Minimalism
The upsides I got from applying this method were:
- Better work-life balance
- Increased productivity in the morning
- Clear focus on immediate tasks
- More personal space
- More mental brain space
Using technology with purpose meant that I choose what I want to use, instead of replicating what others are doing. Setting boundaries in how I intend to use what and where.
By purposely compartmentalizing my hardware for work or personal life, I increased my mental health by 200%.
4 Tips To Start With Digital Minimalism
The following tips helped me create better habits and routines in less than 3 months.
30-Day Digital Declutter (Cal Newport’s Method)
The method is simple. You re-evaluate your priorities and follow a 3-step plan:
- Take a 30-day break from digital platforms and tools that are deemed optional rather than essential
- Reintroduce the ones that truly add value in your current life
- Set strict rules on usage and usage on the ones you intend to keep
Optimizing Your Phone For Focus
This hack, I applied for years, but I fine-tuned it to my needs, which resulted in a blank home screen on my iPhone and barely a handful of applications installed.
Here’s what you should do:
- Turn off all non-urgent notifications
- Delete all social media apps and use them only in a browser. This will add friction and reduce the chances of mindless scrolling.
- Make your phone as boring as possible with grayscale mode. It will make your device less appealing or visually stimulating.
- Uninstall all time-wasters, such as games or news apps
The best result out of this? I prioritized function over fancy. I did not have the urge anymore to buy a new iPhone every year.
Implement Strict Time Blocks & Tech-Free Zones
My wife and I started implementing tech-free zones, and it’s a lifesaver. No phones or tech during our meals, social life, or places at home like ours. bedroom. Leaving our phones outside the bedroom made us sleep better.
This also resulted in avoiding checking our phones when we wake up, enjoying our cup of coffee 10x more.
What could help is applying techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, which teaches you how to work in 25-minute focused bursts with 5-minute breaks. Your 5-minute breaks should be phone or screen-free.
Replace Digital Habits With Analog Ones
Not everything has to be digital. Even though I am a fan of going paperless, there’s a lot of value in replacing some of your habits with analog alternatives.
Those include:
- Using a scratchpad or a paper notebook for your to-do lists & ideas
- Reading physical books instead of a Kindle or iPad
- Buying a flip phone or a dumb phone that strips away the smartphone functions
Challenges When Applying Digital Minimalism
It’s appealing in theory to go cold turkey and implement this method immediately. I tried that, but it was too challenging to change some of my habits and obstacles that make it sustainable.
I couldn’t draw the line yet between what was meaningful and what technology was providing me with value.
But tech dependence isn’t always your fault. It’s fully integrated by companies, governments, or platforms that require smartphone usage.
The reason?
For-profit companies are betting on the attention economy and try to force you to re-engage with technology when you want it the least.
Close
Digital minimalism isn’t about abandoning technology. It’s teaching you a method on how to use tech and hardware that serves you, instead of you becoming a product for them.
I genuinely believe that the overload of software and technology is rather destructive than helpful, and if you were to cut out all the noise, you’ll find more mental clarity.
This approach helped me to remain productive, doing more in less, allowing me to free up time for more non-digital social activities, and it gave me a greater sense of control over my time and attention.
If you plan to go for a minimal approach, try to delete a distracting app every week, and slowly adjust your settings that can transform bad habits. Those small steps will lead to bigger changes, and I can promise you that you’re about to live better.