3 Simple Ways to Better Manage Your Digital Devices to Help You Find More Time in the Day
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Copy by: Britnee Tanner
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You know the drill. You’re on Instagram and what felt like 5 minutes turned into 30. And if you’re being honest, it was hard to peel yourself away from those “talking” Italian Greyhounds and videos of really beautiful places like Lake Como, Italy.
These extremely captivating videos show us that the web of social media and all that it offers is really, really sticky.
So sticky in fact that we can, if we’re not being intentional about our use of it, waste away the hours.
The social media options that are available to us are literally never ending. For example, when was the last time you hit the bottom of your feed? I’m confident that you never did because the apps that you and I use on the regular are really good at keeping the feed going on and on and on.
Spoiler: there isn’t an end.
And after 2020 we know that it’s not just social media vying for our attention. The all to familiar Zoom meeting and way-too-lengthy-for-my-style email chains are among the time-grabbers.
The truth is, we do have to log on (a lot) and we do need to keep in touch with others digitally. There are a few who can live off the grid but for the vast majority of us, we need technology and all that it offers.
The balance comes in learning how to better manage our digital devices instead of letting them manage us.
Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist shared 25 areas where you can minimize clutter. And guess what? The trusty email inbox made the number one spot on Becker's list.
Virtual clutter is still clutter and we've got it bombarding us all day everyday.
And according to Anxiety.org, online social media addictions can lead to rising levels of anxiety among other not-so-great feelings.
"Feelings of self-consciousness or a need for perfectionism can arise, which often manifests itself into social anxiety..."
And the goal is to save time and prevent feelings of overwhelm.
Your inbox isn't going to halt on sending you notifications and your social media feeds aren't going to stop scrolling for you.
So now is the time to simplify things.
You may be wondering, but Britnee, how on earth do I simplify the digital stuff? How do I put limits on my consumption so I can feel healthy? I’m in and I get what you’re saying but where do I start?
I’m so glad you asked.
Create a central charging station that is not in your bedroom
For example, create a tablet and screen hub in your kitchen. This means that when you’re ready to go to bed, you actually plug your devices into the outlets in your kitchen (or other central hub) and tuck them in for the night. Go out and buy a good ‘ole fashioned alarm clock to wake you up in the morning. (There are even options that use light to wake you up instead of annoying beeps.) What you’ll notice is that your bedroom will become more of a place for rest.
Set your own predetermined device usage
Look up screen time apps in the app store or, if you’re an iPhone user, you can utilize the Screen Time feature. Apple provides a great breakdown of how the tool works, here.
Turn off notifications
One of the ways that apps have become so sticky is because they’re constantly reminding us to check-in and log-in to see what it is that we’ve missed since the last time we looked. Removing notifications will be a game changer if you haven’t done this already.
Remember, the goal isn’t about logging off for good or device deprivation! It’s more so about being intentional with your time. Give these tips a whirl and see how much time opens up for you.
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