A Realistic Guide to Digital Minimalism for Beginners
Do you feel like the internet and the many digital devices you own are consuming your life? There are always new notifications, and a thousand articles or videos you could read or watch. Every free minute can be filled with new content. In this guide, I will share how to realistically get started with digital minimalism for beginners without throwing your phone away!
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You've probably heard of digital minimalism, but it often doesn't seem practical. Sometimes, it might seem downright unrealistic.
You may picture a digital minimalist as someone with a flip phone who only connects to Wi-Fi when they absolutely have to or as someone with no social media who doesn't have a clue about what's going on in the world.
Digital minimalism won't turn you into a digital recluse unless you want it to.
Even though I'm still in college and the majority of my homework and work is online, I've been intentionally building more digital minimalist habits so I'm more productive.
Over the past few years, I've built a minimalist phone, deleted and reduced my social media usage, and become more intentional about using my devices as tools, not as entertainment.
In this guide, I'll share practical tips on digital minimalism for beginners so you can build healthier habits without throwing your phone away or deleting all of your social media apps!
What is Digital Minimalism?
Digital minimalism is becoming increasingly popular as people become more addicted to their technology.
You may have heard of the term "attention economy" being thrown around. It's the idea that companies compete for your attention because the longer you scroll on their app, the more ads they can show you.
Apps are designed to keep you scrolling. Your attention is the product.
Digital minimalism helps you decide when technology deserves your time, instead of letting companies and apps decide for you.
There are thousands of articles and videos on the internet. You don't need to read or watch them all.
Since I started practicing digital minimalism, I've felt happier, become more productive, and consumed more useful and interesting information.
Digital Minimalism Isn't About Using Less Technology
Embracing digital minimalism is not about cutting out all of your technology usage.
You may not even need to reduce your screen time to start practicing digital minimalism.
Following a workout video on YouTube is vastly different from scrolling through Reels. Writing 1000 words is way different from browsing news websites.
I like to think technology usage can be divided into two categories.
Passive
- Scrolling through a feed to see if there is anything interesting to watch or read
- Consuming whatever the algorithm picks for you
- Checking notifications or looking for content when you are bored
Active
- Researching and consuming content about a specific activity or subject you are interested in
- Watching or listening to content while doing a different activity
- Using technology to work, study, or communicate
I try to shift as much of my technology usage as possible into active use because it leads to a more fulfilling life.
That's what digital minimalism is all about.
My practical tips about digital minimalism for beginners are next!
A Realistic Guide to Digital Minimalism for Beginners
1. Audit Your Current Technology Usage
Auditing your current technology usage is an ideal place to start practicing digital minimalism for beginners.
When I read the book Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport, I started tracking my internet usage.
Even though I'd tracked my time manually a few years before for a short period of time, this time I downloaded a tool so I could see and collect data on exactly how I was spending my time online.
I use the platform StayFree to track my screen time on my phone and laptop. I know I've mentioned it several times on the blog, but I'm still using it, and it's still free!
While I wasn't surprised about what I saw in the data, I did know that I wanted to change my digital habits.
You don't need any fancy tools to get started. All you need to do is look at whatever app on your phone shows your screen time!
Once you know where you are starting, you can slowly reduce your screen time or use your screen time more effectively.
2. Turn Off Your Devices at Night
The easiest way to start on your path to becoming a digital minimalist is by turning your laptop off at night... if you don't already!
Previously, I wore my watch to bed at night, but now I don't sleep with it on, even though I no longer receive sleep data.
I sleep with my phone across the room, but I'd like to experiment with storing my phone somewhere else because turning it on is still one of the first things I do in the morning. (I read scriptures on my phone during breakfast and take it running.)
Without fail, one of the things I always do before going to bed is turning off my devices. Once they are off for the night, they are only turned on again for emergencies.
If you want to, you can experiment with turning your devices off even earlier before you go to bed.
One thing I've been enjoying is incorporating reading paperback books into my night routine because it helps me to relax before I go to sleep.
3. Choose to do More Offline Activities
When I first got back into reading, I'd read eBooks. Then I started going to the library again, and I remembered how enjoyable it is to read a paperback book!
Obviously, since I'm a marketing student and a writer, a lot of my work is online, but I do try to use analog formats when it's feasible.
I love my bullet journal, and I don't think I'd ever use a fully digital version, even though I use my phone calendar app for my schedule. I try to do as much of my planning as possible in my bullet journal because it's also a creative outlet for me.
Digital minimalism doesn't have to be about making huge changes to your lifestyle. It can be as simple as going on a run without music every once in a while.
Or choosing to play a board game with friends, instead of using a digital app to play the same game.
Think about what parts of your life you can easily take offline.
4. Make Your Devices Boring
This is where minimalism actually comes in. I've written about making a minimalist phone, and it's been so helpful in reducing my screen time!
My advice is to try and make your devices as boring and tool-like as possible.
Here are a bunch of things you can do to create minimalist devices:
- Delete all unnecessary apps
- Turn your screens to black and white
- Block distracting websites
- Delete accounts with feeds or unfollow as many people as possible
- Keep all of your files and photos organized
The more basic and boring your technology is, the more you'll treat it like a tool. This frees up more time for you to spend on hobbies!
Have you ever heard of anyone using their calculator app when bored or scrolling through their phone settings for fun?
Maybe some people do this, but I definitely don't!
5. Turn Off Unnecessary Notifications
I just checked to see how many notifications I've received so far today. It's currently 6:57pm.
Here's the breakdown from my phone:
- Productivity and finance = 24
- Social = 11
- Health and fitness = 6
- News and information = 1
If you do the math on that, you'll see that I've received 42 notifications today! That still seems like a lot to me, and I've already turned off quite a few notifications.
Instead of thinking of notifications as helpful reminders, think of them as interruptions to what you are already doing.
If you silence your notifications, you'll still see them the next time you open your phone, which will probably be less than an hour because most people look at their phone at least once an hour.
While my phone is always set to silent, I do get all of these notifications directly to my smartwatch. I've experimented with turning them all off, but because of work and school, I sometimes do need to see those notifications immediately so I can reply quickly.
My days felt much calmer without notifications though.
You know what notifications are necessary for you!
6. Set Boundaries for Technology Usage
Again, this will look different for everyone but set a few boundaries surrounding your technology usage.
I only use YouTube on the weekends, and I keep social media websites blocked for the most part. I have to unblock them to use them and I set daily time limits.
These boundaries help me avoid the parts of the internet that lead to mindless scrolling and binge-watching.
You might also decide to set aside parts of your day as being technology-free. You might choose to leave your phone in a different room during meals or discontinue carrying your phone around with you while at home.
During class, I like to put my phone underneath my pencil case or in my backpack, so it's out of sight, and (hopefully) out of mind.
7. Build Intentional Digital Habits
Before you power on your laptop, ask yourself, "What exactly am I going to use my laptop for?"
If you have to, you can even make a list of the tasks you need to do, so you can follow your list without getting distracted by new tasks. If any new tasks come up, you can add them to the bottom of your list.
When you are on your devices, what are you doing to be intentional about your usage?
This might look like only having a few tabs open at a time or setting up your laptop, so the tabs you do need automatically come up and you can start working right away.
One thing I'm still working on is reducing how often I switch between tabs. It can be so incredibly easy to be focused on one task and then think of something that'll only take a few seconds.
That one task often leads to five other 5-second tasks that actually take 15 minutes each!
8. Schedule Time for Intentional Entertainment
You don't need to delete all digital entertainment from your life to practice digital minimalism. I like to think about it as consuming entertainment when I actually have the time and being mindful about what I'm consuming.
My entertainment choices should not be controlled by an algorithm.
At the very least, my technology use shouldn't make me feel worse about myself or like I just wasted the last three hours of my time.
One way to practice this is by saving interesting articles and videos for designated times, instead of consuming them immediately.
I allow myself to watch a few videos on YouTube on the weekend because even if I do get sucked in, I know it won't take away from doing work. This time for entertainment is also much more enjoyable because I know I've set it aside to consume content.
9. Break the Habit of "Just Checking"
This is one of the hardest things about using the internet. It can be so easy to feel compelled to unlock your phone to just check if there's anything new.
While I'm writing this, I just had the thought that I should open up LinkedIn to see if anyone has posted anything new and interesting to look at.
My brain probably sends me hundreds of messages like these ones daily, and it's still hard to ignore them, but that's what I'm trying to do.
One habit I'm building to cut down on this urge is to work on a large task before I get to check data and feeds for the day.
Since I'm a writer, I love looking at my blog analytics, newsletter analytics, and new articles. It always turns into a time waster or brings up random tasks that deter me from doing what I want to do, which is writing.
Now when I open up my laptop, I try to start working on a new article immediately because it's my largest task for the day, and even though I procrastinate the most, it's also one of the most rewarding parts of my day as well.
Final Notes on a Realistic Guide to Digital Minimalism for Beginners
Those are my tips for digital minimalism for beginners! The good news is that you don't need to ever throw your phone away or actually embrace boredom. Digital minimalism is about using technology with purpose, not cutting it all out.
Decide on one small habit you can start today to practice digital minimalism.
Here are my tips about practicing digital minimalism for beginners:
- Audit your current technology usage
- Turn off your devices at night
- Choose to do more offline activities
- Make your devices boring
- Turn off unnecessary notifications
- Set boundaries for technology usage
- Build intentional digital habits
- Schedule time for intentional entertainment
- Break the habit of checking apps and websites when bored
If you enjoyed this article about digital minimalism for beginners, you may also enjoy reading these posts.
- How I Created a Minimalist Phone to Cut My Screen Time in Half
- How I Keep My Inbox Organized in Just a Few Minutes a Day
- 10 Easy + Efficient Ways to Unplug From Technology
- 5 Simple Bullet Journal Time Trackers to Get Your Life Back
I hope you enjoyed this post about digital minimalism for beginners!
Would you share this post about digital minimalism for beginners with a friend if you found it helpful? Thank you! :)
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