In the digital age, it’s easy to get lost in the amount of time you spend on your electronics. A couple weeks ago, I started thinking about how much time I spend on my phone and my laptop. I realized I was giving unnecessary apps far too much of my time, when I could’ve been using it to do something productive and beneficial for my life.
I decided then and there that I would start becoming more conscious of the time I spent on my phone in efforts to reduce wasting time. I began reading about digital minimalism and how it can help in reducing unnecessary technology use. I have tried some tips out and I’m here to share a couple that have really worked for me.
1. Grayscale.
Studies show that people are attracted to color and that is one of the leading reasons why people stay on their phones for so long. Putting your phone on grayscale leaves your phone looking a little boring and less intriguing to spend your time on. If you have an Apple device, you can do this by going to Settings>General>Accessibility>Display Accommodations>Color Filter> turn on Color Filter.
2. Rearrange/Delete Your Apps.
Deleting social media applications off your phone will allow you to not be so glued to it. Most of the time, the number one thing people use their phone for is social media. Without that temptation, it leaves you with a whole lot less to use your phone for.
3. Leave Your Phone at Home.
This one may be a little hard, so use this tip at your discretion. As much a having your phone on you had become the social norm, there was a time (surprisingly not that long ago) when people left their houses without a phone in their pocket. Leaving your phone at home every once in a while can force you to stay in tune with the world and not use it as a crutch to avoid “awkward” situations.
It will give you time to breathe and turn inward to your thoughts. I try to use this tip when I go to class in the morning. I find myself more willing to hold conversations and also get my personal thoughts together.
4. Turn off Notifications.
Using this tip gives you control. Having your notifications on can leave you vulnerable to having your concentration broken. With them off, it gives you the power to choose when you want to respond to calls, texts, or emails.
5. Do not Disturb.
When you’re going to sleep, put your phone on DND. I usually set my phone from 9 p.m. to 10 a.m. to ensure I get a good night sleep.
6. Unfriend Them.
This one pertains to social media accounts. Because social media is so popular now-a-days, many people get sucked into the competition of the “following to followers” ratio or judge people due to their low follower count.
When you get sucked into the hype, you find yourself adding people you barely even know or people you never even met before. This leads to wasted time scrolling through the endless feed of tweets and pics of people who serve no purpose to you. Unfriend them. First, it will leave you with less time to waste and second, you won’t spend time feeling bad about yourself because people you’ve never met are posting only the good things happening in their lives.