As soon as I heard the phrase digital minimalism, I felt intellectually excited, realizing that something new had entered my radar. When I listened to Rich Roll’s podcast (highly recommended), he hosted Cal Newport (author of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World and Deep Work) for a long and fascinating conversation about the concept.
I felt as if they were speaking directly to me. In recent years, most of my professional work, as well as many of my creative processes, has taken place online. I have chosen to make my living using the Internet.
I am a spiritualist, a lover of nature. Even though I have always had a good orientation towards technology, thanks to my father, I would rather work in the garden than sit in front of a screen.
In one moment, I realized that so many troubling things had been happening right under my nose as I worked, studied, and developed. Cal’s fresh perspective was like a breath of fresh air on a hot day.
What is Digital Minimalism?
These days, Cal Newport is the authority behind the concept (search for digital minimalism and tell me if you find anything that does not relate to him):
“Digital minimalism 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.”
It is possible to consider digital minimalism as a branch of minimalism. According to the minimalist philosophy, letting go of things that don’t bring us value gives us more room for the meaningful things in life. It is not about asceticism and reduction for the sake of reduction. It is about practicing awareness and listening to the nuances that make our lives more profound.
Therefore, we become more aware and smarter in our use of technology through digital minimalism. If we ask ourselves what value we receive from the digital space and agree to let go of that which demands a price from us (sometimes a heavy one), then we can live a peaceful life in an increasingly digital world.
What makes digital minimalism so relevant to us?
There are many faces to technology. It can improve our lives significantly, but it can also impose substantial social, cognitive, and mental costs. It is imperative that we cultivate a clear mind, critical thinking and the right habits in a world where the digital space has taken over our lives.
Our digital interfaces, including social media, are the result of a billion-dollar industry and the efforts of thousands of brilliant minds. The economic model behind them is based on a close relationship between technology companies and advertising companies.
At the end of the day, this economic model relies on one of the most valuable resources we have – attention.
(Check out this fascinating article by Mark Manson about the attention economy.)
Resources and efforts are devoted to keeping us connected to our devices and our apps. Not to mention making us addicted. In order to increase our engagement and stay with their products, companies invest a lot of money in developing technology that takes advantage of our psychological and cognitive weaknesses. As an example, we know that certain parts of social networks are based on the Slot Machine model. It is one of the most addictive models known.
It is because of this complex reality that digital minimalism is relevant to all of us. We can all benefit from using technology more mindfully.
My own experience
As I examined my professional circumstances through the minimalist lens, I realized how the digital space in which I spend many hours of my day does not support my professional and spiritual growth.
While being addicted to Facebook, jumping between interfaces without focus, and allowing my mobile device to steal my attention for clearly irrelevant notifications, my self-growth efforts were very inconsistent. While I felt very active and busy, I did not reap the fruits that I would have been satisfied with.
By practicing digital minimalism, I was able to reduce distractions, focus on what is really meaningful, and find the right balance between work, rest, and leisure. By cleaning and reducing my workspace, and by developing a conscious thought process regarding my technology use, I was able to create a quiet, stress-free work space. Excellent infrastructure for productivity was created.
So how do all these beautiful ideas translate into action? Let’s look at the practicalities.
The practice of digital minimalism
Although I have discussed how significant digital minimalism is as a philosophy for life, it has quite a few possible applications. Some are more at the level of observation and thought, while others are more at the level of practicality.
Awareness is the first step
Before adopting new technology, ask yourself these questions about the tools you are currently using:
- What is the purpose of this tool or product?
- Would this tool be the most effective for me to do the job?
- How healthy is my relationship with this tool?
- Is there another tool I can use to make my job more efficient?
Digital minimalism acknowledges that every tool has both positive and negative aspects. It stresses that we should only adopt tools if their benefits to us outweigh their cost.
Beyond the specific questions or techniques, the goal is to practice asking ourselves questions about our digital use and to introduce a quality of intention and critical thinking.
The optimization of processes related to usage
A new tool was adopted or an existing tool was reduced consciously? An optimization process within a tool or between different tools you work with can also contribute to becoming a minimalist professional. You might have chosen to use Facebook despite its tendency to steal your time because you find that it gives you marketing advantages. Great, now figure out exactly how you can manage to overcome the negative effects by forming positive habit.
Avoid distractions as if it were fire
There are a lot of completely unnecessary distractions that we simply got used to and learned to live with. This is regardless of their necessity or contribution to our peace of mind. Among them are:
Unsubscribe from unnecessary mailing lists
In our inboxes we receive irrelevant emails every day. We just leave them out of laziness or fear of missing something (hi FOMO). There is something very satisfying about a focused session of unsubscribing from all kinds of lists.
Disable push notifications
We receive notifications by default from all the apps we install on our phone, as well as some of them on our computer. These notifications pop-up a message that yells at you to take a look at it. Almost 95% of the messages we receive are irrelevant, insignificant, and worthless to us. It’s mostly a way to keep us hooked on dopamine. Yes, disabling notifications, especially in the main apps, may bring on withdrawal symptoms, but it is well worth the effort.
Blocking websites
It may sound extreme, but addiction to digital tools is itself an extreme state. There are some really great apps that can help break the obscene habit of escaping from concentration to the endless and empty field of the newsfeed.
Organization and order in the digital space
Several studies have already established the relationship between physical space and productivity (here for example), and similarly, the digital space in which we manage ourselves greatly influences our well-being, stress levels, and productivity.
Start with a few particularly problematic areas. You will quickly recognize the places that need polishing and do not support productive effort and peace of mind.
This is a process that you can begin right now and progress at your own pace, without following any set plan or schedule.
Delete files, apps, and software
It’s a good idea to delete everything you don’t use anymore. The desktop, downloads, and pictures folders accumulate files you no longer need. Removing apps and software that are no longer necessary can also enhance the performance of your computer and mobile device.
Switching to cloud-based services
As soon as we’ve cleared our devices of unnecessary items, we can begin using cloud storage. In addition to being a reliable and convenient backup method, cloud storage allows us to eliminate the need to load our computers and phones with unnecessary data.
Archiving old emails
The topic of managing your mailbox for productivity is something we can discuss at length. Emails transferred to the archive are removed from the main folder, but they can still be searched (Gmail has an extremely sophisticated and convenient search tool). There is an addictive shortcut for this action. Read about it here.
Hiding the taskbar
It seems insignificant, but I am addicted to free screen space for things that are not directly related to the task I am working on. Right-click and uncheck the “V” next to “Lock the taskbar” to accomplish this.
Using the “full screen”
Whenever I am not working on a task that requires me to switch between windows in the browser, but need to concentrate on deep writing or reading, I like to work in full screen. It reduces immediate distractions. Try the F11 shortcut on your keyboard.
Create a daily ritual for yourself
There is usually a lot of cleaning and organizing work to do at the beginning. But once you reach the desired result, implementing a few habits will make it much easier to maintain the space. The routine I suggest for exiting a work session should include a final review of the task list and schedule for the next day, cleaning the desktop, emptying the recycle bin and cleaning the downloads folder.
Prefer streaming
In general, this is a good example of exchanging ownership of music and video files for a fast and accessible experience enabled by services like Spotify and Netflix.
Image for desktop background
Choosing a minimalistic and relaxing desktop background is another thing that seems insignificant and minor. As a matter of fact it is actually good for my soul and stimulates me to be productive. Think about how often you see this image on your desktop and how pleasant it would be if it conveyed to you that all is well. My desktop is decorated with sheep in the south of Portugal. A sweet dream of mine.
The digital detox
When transitioning to a digital minimalism lifestyle, Cal Newport highly recommends a thorough cleaning process. He recommends that we disconnect from all technology that is not vital for us for 30 days. That means anything that cannot significantly affect the way we manage our work and personal lives if it is temporarily removed.
During the cleaning period, we come in renewed contact with leisure and with things we like to do outside the digital space. Each with his own hobbies and passions. At the end of the period, we gradually return only the tools we realized have significant value for us. We also define a specific way that we are going to use it (for example – what we need it for, how long we will use it, etc.)
The goal of this long and comprehensive process is to break our digital habits and addiction to technology. It is also to enable a new dialogue and a new way of managing our work and leisure time.
When we return to use the tools we used, we check to see the degree of value they give us. Cal defines it nicely: “The fact that it offers some value is irrelevant—the digital minimalist deploys technology to serve the things they find most important in their life, and is happy missing out on everything else.”
Here are some additional tips for cultivating a digital minimalism lifestyle
A minimalist activist’s approach
Were you aware of how tech corporations hijack our attention? About the fact that we are essentially a product sold to ad companies? It sounds extreme and rabid, but in reality it is absolutely true. Try to stay aware of this and figure out how you can protect your (and others’) freedom of conscience more assertively.
Cultivate leisure
Find out what you enjoy doing, if it’s not quite clear yet (you’ll be surprised, not everyone knows). Gradually give it more time and space if you don’t already. It is very easy to spend our free time scrolling endlessly on our phones. We could be enjoying food, a walk, or quality time with our families. It is very important to take time for leisure and rest (including a break from screens). This way we can recharge our cognitive resources before the next day.
Plan your time
This article is not about teaching you how to manage your time. Time management is a complex and multifaceted concept that has many faces. I just want you to remember that if you are not attentive and decisive with your time, your precious and finite resource, it will be easy for others to steal it from you. Plan your days in advance so that you can ensure that everything is in its place.
Having trouble managing time? Let me know about it, I might be able to assist.
To conclude
Digital minimalism is a way of life. It doesn’t happen instantly and becomes clear as you practice, discover, and experience. In this article, I have provided you with some food for thought and inspiration to stimulate your willpower and curiosity. Additionally, I shared practical tools and ideas that you can apply right now to release unnecessary excesses and get closer to a peaceful digital peace.
It accelerates processes that require concentration and strenuous cognitive work. It enables work and deep learning, and enhances digital initiatives and focused business activities.
In an increasingly distracted digital world, it promotes mental clarity by enabling focused work and rest.
It is reserved for the brave and wise among you.
