What is Digital Minimalism:

The act of minimizing the digital clutter in life is called Digital Minimalism. Anybody can be a digital minimalist. If you have calm long conversations with people around you without fidgeting with your phone, you are one. If you can focus on the work you are doing or hobby you are pursuing with depth, you are one. If your priority towards friends, family, or work is higher than online socializing, you are one. If you can resist watching the news for long hours, you are one.

4 Tips On Achieving A Digital Minimalist lifestyle

#1 Resist Distraction

Not all apps on your phone are utilized all the time. There is a simple trick to zip all apps and then unzip only what you use often. Another tip would be to disable all notifications, and slowly start enabling only the ones you expect to get urgent messages on. The best and most sustainable tip will be to get rid of the distracting and addictive apps on your phone altogether. Uninstall those apps that are in no way adding value to your life.

#2 Intentional Usage

Think about what your goal is. Bring intention for every choice. Don’t join the herd without even knowing why you are doing it. The fact that you are reading this article, already shows that you are not one in the herd. Not only use intention in what gadgets and apps you use but also add intention in the way you use them. Make sure you inform people how often you check an app and set appointments for calls.

#3 Joy Of Missing Out

A few days ago I wrote an entire article about FOMO – the fear of missing out. A lot of people are fidgeting with gadgets because they fear missing out on something. Tech companies are thriving on FOMO. Digital minimalism asks you to accept this. Enjoy the joy in missing out on the things you know don’t bring value to your life. Focus on activities that nurture you rather than ones than drain you.

#4 Set Dedicated Time

We touched upon this a little in the intentional usage section. To add more intention, slot everything into your calendar. Most people work out at the same time every morning, cook at the same time every evening and meet friends over weekends at similar times. Why not bring this discipline into the way you consume digital content?

I schedule my day down to every hour so I can accomplish my morning workouts, house clean up, breakfast cooking, office activities, commute to and fro office, cooking dinner in evenings, writing blogs, reading, and meditating each day before sleep. Some might call this a hectic day, but for me this is natural. Years of practice and sticking to the routine (with some buffers, of course).

In terms of online consumption, I keep it down to 5 minutes of news each morning, checking messages during tea and lunch breaks. Sitting with a personal laptop only while blogging. And surfing the net only for some urgent doubts to consult google. Longer time with gadgets is reserved for weekend afternoons only (if I am not asleep). My visits to social media are pretty reserved for promoting my blog and occasionally connecting with old friends.

I hope you manage to convert your times of distraction to times of productivity. Share your experiences of digital minimalism by commenting below.