How Digital Minimalism Can Boost Happiness

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This short yet informative guide will explain how digital minimalism can boost happiness levels. We live in such a noisy world where technology has slowly infiltrated all areas of our lives. It seems that everyone always has a screen in their face. We are in a constant state of distraction and our mental health and happiness levels are decreasing because of it.

I was personally finding that technology and the digital world were slowly taking over my life. It was no one’s fault but my own. So, I decided to make some changes by implementing a few simple and easy boundaries around my screen use. The results proved to be invaluable. I noticed more happiness, connection and calm in myself and my family.

This article will show you how to integrate these simple changes in your own life.

What is Digital Minimalism?

Before we get to the how, let’s define what digital minimalism is. Here is a great definition of the term as defined by Cal Newport, author of the book Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World:

“A philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support the things you value, and then happily miss out on everything else.”

Cal Newport Author of “Digital Minimalism”

The key word here is FOCUS. When you practice digital minimalism, you find ways to focus your tech use to small amounts of quality time and less constant checking and scrolling. No more going down the “Facebook rabbit hole” for an hour at a time.

Digital minimalism will help you condense your screen use to be more productive and efficient. Thus, freeing up more time to spend doing what you love and having more quality time with your people.

Health Benefits of Decreasing Screen Time

As a registered nurse and advocate for improving overall well-being, I am very interested in the health benefits of reducing screen use. According to the Mayo Clinic, here are some of the health benefits we experience when we slim our screen time:

• Improved physical health
• Decreased obesity
• Increased time to try new activities
• Improved mood
• Enhanced relationships

Overuse of screen time puts everyone at risk for obesity, is linked with sleep disturbances, lowers our mood and negatively impacts relationships. While it is impossible to go completely screen-free (especially if your work involves a laptop like me), there are ways for you to drastically cut down the hours you spend on a device.

How to Practice Digital Minimalism for Improved Happiness

Because personal technology is increasingly powerful, available, and relatively affordable, it’s highly addictive. Unfortunately it was designed this way and consumers are the ones paying the price. It’s time to put an end to excessive screen time and get back to the basics. Simple, slow living where we adapt the pace of nature is the goal here. Real life happens when you look up and around you, not at screens. How can we be more mindful around our technology?

1. The 24/6 Rule

I adapted this rule after reading Tiffany Shlain’s book 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week. In her book, she explores how turning off screens for one day a week can work wonders on your mind, body and soul. Her book left me craving a full day each week with no technology.

I’m happy to report that I’m about a month into my 24/6 lifestyle and I am happier than ever. On Saturday night before bed, I round up all our devices: tablets, laptops, TV remotes, gaming controllers and yes… even the smart phones and put them away in my secret spot. Then, my family and I wake up on Sundays tech-free and ready to reconnect. We spend the day together being present, gardening, reading, cooking or just relaxing. It’s also a great day to have family or friends over for dinner and spend quality time together without distractions.

Of course, I did have to prepare a little before going 24/6, such as finding a radio for some music and setting up a home phone for emergencies. However, these minor details were absolutely worth it. Also, sometimes going tech-free on Sundays absolutely doesn’t work due to vacations or commitments, so I improvise by switching days for that week.

Our tech-free Sundays provide a major reset before the week starts and technology slowly creeps back in our lives. You could choose any day of the week that works for your family, but I highly recommend trying it. Going 24/6 is a simple way to boost happiness, connection and presence.

2. Bi-annual Social Media Detoxes

About twice a year I take a social media detox. It usually lasts from one week to a month and I try to plan one in the spring and one in the winter. When I do this, I uninstall ALL social media apps from my phone. I don’t delete them completely, rather take away their easy access from the smart phone. I never go on social media on my laptop or computer, so removing apps from my phone is the best solution and easy to reinstall when my detox is over.

During these social media detoxes I am much more happier and care-free. I no longer need to check out if my posts are getting likes or comments because I’m simply NOT posting anything! I would be lying if I didn’t admit that the first few days are a little difficult and I get serious FOMO (fear of missing out). However, after a while I hardly care anymore.

Another bonus is that my overall mood drastically increases when I’m offline. I no longer feel competitive or compare what I’m doing to others. My anxiety decreases because I don’t feel like I have to keep up with what everyone else it doing.

If you want more information on this topic check out:

Why You Should Take a Social Media Detox

What I Learned from a Social Media Detox

3. Turn Off Notifications, Badges and Sounds

Having your notifications turned on is an easy way to get distracted throughout the day. Every time you get a new email, like, comment or text your phone reminds you to look at it and you are sucked back into the vortex.

Once the notifications aren’t constantly distracting you, it’s time to set a limit on how many times you check your phone. If you don’t want to miss something important, set yourself time periods during which you can check social media or your email inbox during the day.

The only sound you should hear is when your phone actually rings for a call, and even then you should examine if you need to take every call you receive.

4. Be Intentional

Digital minimalism is all about being intentional about your time on devices. Here are some boundaries you can set which will help:

• No phones in bed or first thing in the morning! Put them in another room at night and get an alarm clock instead.
• Do a digital declutter- remove old apps, clean up your email, unsubscribe to newsletters and clean up your documents.
• Only check your email once or twice a day.
• Put your phone away for meals at home and at restaurants.
• Go out in nature if you feel like you need take a break from the devices- look up at the trees and the sky.
• Organize your pictures and delete duplicates or unwanted pictures.
• Unfollow accounts on social media that don’t bring you joy.
• Use a phone habit tracking app such as RescueTime.
• Only have one credible news feed that you can access for information and set limits on how many times you check it for current events.
• Limit binge watching TV or Netflix and have a family movie night instead.

If you want more information on how to limit the news, I highly recommend this article:

How to Stay Focused in the Attention Economy

Final Thoughts

The best advice I can give when it comes to digital minimalism is that everything in life is a balance. You don’t have to hide in a cabin in the woods with zero access to a screen to live a digital minimalist lifestyle. Just become intentional with your digital use and limit it throughout your day and week. Focus your digital use to a few intentional times during the day and try not to mindlessly scroll or swipe.

Even if you adapt just one or two of the boundaries listed above, you will find yourself becoming a more present person. Watch your happiness levels increase as your digital time decreases and take back your life.

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Join the Discussion

What did you learn about digital minimalism? Tell us below in the comments.

Author

Sara Halcumb is a registered nurse, health writer, mother and wife. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband and two kids. She loves nothing more than spending her days exploring the great outdoors with her family. Hire Nurse Sara to write or edit your next health or wellness article HERE!

If you want to write for Literally Simple, contact us HERE with your pitch!

Sources

Newport, Cal. Digital Minimalism. Penguin Books Ltd., 2020.

Bach, Margaret. 5 Tips for Reducing Screen Time. www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/featured-topic/5-tips-for-reducing-screen-time.

Shlain, Tiffany. 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week. Gallery Books. 2019.