Digital habits
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Place apps in nested folders or on secondary screens to require extra clicks and swipes before accessing them.
Making access harder reduces usage.
- This method may only work for a few weeks as you get used to the new navigation path.
3 people, independently
On days when you lack motivation, aim for a 'non-zero day' by doing any small task that moves you toward your goals.
Doing anything is better than nothing.
- This approach is intended for low-motivation days, not as a daily standard.
one person who lived it
Remove the TV from the bedroom and keep the phone outside the room to prevent nighttime scrolling and improve sleep; use a white noise machine if you need sound.
One person found this prevented looking things up late at night and helped with sleep.
one person who lived it
Create a weekly grid with 168 boxes (one per hour) and color-code them by activity type to visualize time waste.
One person reported this really helped them.
one person who lived it
Get a flip phone or non-smartphone and do not install any apps.
Installing more apps does not increase productivity.
one person who lived it
Block people or groups on social media that cause negative emotions or anger.
It helps a lot.
one person who lived it
Focus on gratitude for people and experiences rather than consumer goods.
On your deathbed, you won't be thinking about the consumer goods you didn't buy or wishing you spent more time working.
one person who lived it
Place Google Calendar and Google Keep widgets on your home screen to plan and record everything.
It keeps my life together.
one person who lived it
Take up a costly activity, such as a paid course, to create external pressure that compels you to ignore your phone.
The financial investment creates a sense of obligation to finish the task rather than waste money.
one person who lived it
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Take 30 days off from consuming any productivity content (videos, podcasts, books).
It is described as the right move.
one person who lived it
Remove non-work apps from your home screen to reduce visual distraction.
It helps a bit.
one person who lived it
Ask yourself 'Did I enjoy that?' after consuming entertainment to determine if the time was well spent.
It helps avoid doomscrolling.
- This is one person's experience.
one person who lived it
Take up physical tasks or interests to keep busy and reduce phone use.
6 people, independently
Listen to music while doing dishes or laundry to calm an over-stimulated mind.
A cleaner space helps you relax afterward.
one person who lived it
Disrupt one component of the habit loop (cue, action, or reward) to stop the behavior.
Disrupting any single component breaks the loop.
one person who lived it
Stop watching self-development content if you are not taking action to apply what you hear.
Otherwise it is just infotainment and you are not improving.
one person who lived it
Detox from mindless iPad games if they are preventing you from getting things done.
one person who lived it
Log daily activities in a personal diary to identify causes of distraction and reduce unnecessary ones.
One person reported this took 4 to 6 months to yield results.
one person who lived it
Add a virtual pet to your blocking system whose well-being reflects your usage to increase behavioral impact.
It might have an even larger impact on behavior.
one person who lived it
Set strict time limits for specific activities using tracking apps to enforce moderation rather than complete abstinence.
Moderation is hard, so tracking helps keep you straight when you do not want to completely abstain.
one person who lived it
Balance content creation with consumption.
Over-consumption leads to misery.
one person who lived it
- Recognize that creators recycle the same content repeatedly.1
Quit Twitter if you want to improve happiness and productivity, based on one person's experience.
One user reported their life became happier and more productive after quitting.
one person who lived it
Intentionally associate with producers and distance yourself from consumer friends.
Social groups seek equilibrium; hanging out with consumers makes you more likely to become a consumer.
one person who lived it
Accept that you cannot consume everything; read and watch only what you want to, ignoring pressure to keep up.
one person who lived it
Set a timer when starting recreational activities like gaming and stop immediately when the alarm goes off.
One person found that works.
one person who lived it
Expect physical muscle memory to persist for weeks after deleting or moving an app, causing you to tap empty space where the icon used to be.
- Muscle memory is difficult to break.
one person who lived it
Reconnect with close ones and engage in the real world to counteract the misery of being online constantly.
- Not participating can make one feel left out.
one person who lived it
Listen to funny podcasts instead of watching memes to combine entertainment with studying or other activities.
They allow you to study while having fun and are quite informative.
one person who lived it