5 Quick Tips to Clean Up Your Digital Device and Stop Constantly Checking Notifications
Do you feel like you need to declutter your digital life and focus on what's truly important? You're not alone. We all know that we could stand to declutter our digital lives a bit. But it's not always easy to know where to start or how to keep from getting pulled back in.
According to the American Psychological Association, nearly one-third of Americans check their smart phone within five minutes of waking up, and before even getting out of bed. The numbers are staggering. In fact, approximately 60-90% of Americans admit to checking social media more than once an hour. That’s not all. According to a study at the University of Glasgow, we check our phones every 12 minutes on average. That’s once every four minutes! It only takes a second to check your phone, but the distraction it creates is long lasting. Many of us check our phones without much thought, without considering the productivity loss it causes. It’s time to break the habit.
Here are a few tips to help you get started on the path to digital decluttering and staying focused on what's truly important.
1. Stick to a schedule.
When it comes to breaking the habit of checking your notifications and phone too often, one helpful strategy is to stick to a schedule. Try allocating specific 15- or 30-minute intervals for checking your email and social media. Once you get better at resisting the urge to get sucked into time-wasting activities, you can increase the interval to every 45 minutes, and eventually move up to checking only once per hour.
Also, set a 5-minute timer to check and respond to the most important things. If your inbox is full, allot an extra ten to fifteen minutes to respond to anything that requires your input. Also, it is a good idea to inform friends, family, and colleagues that you will not be answering their calls and messages as quickly as you did previously, so that they do not worry or become anxious.
2. Whenever possible, shut off push notifications
Too many notifications can be a huge distraction. If you're looking to minimize distractions and maximize focus, one of the best things you can do is reduce the number of push notifications you receive. That means turning off notifications for social media platforms, podcasts, and email. If you have a system for checking email at set intervals, then notifications are simply unnecessary.
3. Remove distracting apps
You may not realize it, but much of your phone usage is automatic. Without thinking, people often shift from one app to another, checking the weather and our texts, and then play our favorite game or catch up on the news. Try deleting the social media apps from your phone and only using the web browser to access these sites. You'll find that you spend less time on your phone this way and makes it easier to stay on task and avoid distractions.
4. Keep your device away from your bed
Your phone does not have to be the last thing you see before going to sleep at night and the first thing you see in the morning. To avoid the trap of looking at your phone too much, try using a good old fashion alarm clock instead of your phone. This way, you can avoid the temptation of checking your phone first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
5. Use a smart speaker
A smart speaker can be a valuable asset because it allows you to use your phone less. If you have a smart speaker that is connected to your network via Bluetooth, you can simply tell the speaker what you want to listen to, rather than having to open your phone and select the content yourself. This way, you can go about your day listening and learning without being glued to your phone screen.
You'll become more productive when you're not staring at your phone all day. Try out these tips to reduce your reliance on technology, and you'll find that you have more time in your day because you're not constantly distracted by your phone or notifications. Comment below to share your thoughts on how you reduce digital clutter?
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