Digital Minimalism

I think we can all relate to the days when we keep checking our social feeds and are distracted by constand notifications on our phone. And it only becomes worse when our screen time is going up. I have experienced this many times, and I felt overwhelmed and distracted. This is where digital minimalism comes in. It means that you use technology with intention, just like other things in life. Digital Minimalism is becoming essential for creative focus and wellbeing. It means that you use no more information and technology than is necessary, and design it in a way that creates balance in your life. After all, we want to spend more time enjoying life and doing things that we love than using our phones or computers.

The Problem with Constant Connectivity

Like I have mentioned in my previous post, when we excessively use modern technology, we can experience something called information overload. What this does to your mental health is that it affects your attention span, creativity and peace of mind. Many consumers say that they have experienced digital fatigue lately. It is becoming a problem for more and more people. The things you watch online also determine digital fatigue, because there is a difference between educational or inspiring content and low-value digital noise.

As Cal Newport defines it in Digital Minimalism, it is “a philosophy that helps you question what digital communication tools (and behaviors surrounding these tools) add the most value to your life. It is motivated by the belief that intentionally and aggressively clearing away low-value digital noise, and optimizing your use of the tools that really matter, can significantly improve your life.”

This means that you have to decide for yourself what types of content and platforms only add low-value digital noise to your life. In order to pursue digital minimalism, you have to ask yourself some questions. Do I like long form or short form content? Which apps improve my productivity and which ones make me feel useless? From which platforms and types of content can I learn a lot? Which ones do I want to use for entertainment and which ones for learning? Which ones make me feel insecure and make me compare myself to other people? These are all questions that can help you decide what digital minimalism means to you. It doesn’t mean that you avoid modern technology all together. It means that you use it in a balanced way that works best for you.

It doesn’t mean that you avoid modern technology all together. It means that you use it in a balanced way that works best for you.

My Journey Toward Digital Minimalism

For me, it was Instagram and TikTok, because I only felt more insecure by comparing myself to others. I also realized that short-form content is a waste of my time and is better spend elsewhere. On the other side, I incorporated things like Todoist (a to-do planner) and Artificial Intelligence to create better habits and speed up the process of creating. I still watch long form content on Youtube to learn new things and get inspired by other people. I also measured my screen time, and tried to make sure I didn’t use my phone more than two hours at its maximum every day. But for someone else it could be totally different. When I deleted Instagram and TikTok, I felt more comfortable with myself, and was able to create more time for music, sketching and photography. I felt more connected to other people, and it was easier to socialize.

Simple Practices to Start With

So where can you start? Well, in the beginning it can be helpful to measure how much time you spend on every app on your phone with a screen time monitor. This shows you exactly how you spend your time. Then try to delete apps that you want to stop using or set time frames for them. Turning off non-essential notifications will ensure that you will not be distracted easily. You could try to set phone free hours, like in the morning and when you go to bed. Remember to not be too hard on yourself. It takes time to change your habits and your behaviour. Making small changes will be more realistic and acceptable.

Turning off non-essential notifications will ensure that you will not be distracted easily.

The Real Reward: Clarity, Creativity, and Connection

The reward that digital minimalism brings, is that it creates space for deep thought and richer experiences. Because your mind is not occupied by distractions of your phone, you have more time and attention for other people. You have more time to create things and more clarity. I encourage you to create your own room for silence, solitude and real-world interaction to feel a deeper connection with yourself again. Technology should make things easier for us, not harder. There will be moments where you feel like a kid again, not having any kind of made up worries that social media can bring you.

Because your mind is not occupied by distractions of your phone, you have more time and attention for other people. You have more time to create things and more clarity.

Incorporate Digital Minimalism in your Life

I encourage you to try out a small digital declutter experiment. This could be anything from deleting a social media app or reducing your screen time by an hour. See what it does to your focus, clarity and your mood. Remember that the point of digital minimalism is to use technology in a way that gives you the benefits of it. Try watching content that you can learn from and sparks your creativity, instead of low quality noise. What is one digital distraction that you can let go of this week?

If you liked this article, also check out this article for more on this topic.

To enhance your focus and digital minimalism, check out this playlist.

Have a peaceful day 😉

Mart Bergsma