20 Digital Minimalism Tips to Start Your Digital Minimalism Journey Now!

The Beginner’s Guide to Digital Minimalism

 

Chapter 2

20 Digital Minimalism Tips to Start Your Digital Minimalism Journey Now!

Digital minimalism tips can transform you into a pro in no time.

Right tips allow just anyone to behave like a pro, and this chapter has been written to achieve that goal.

In Chapter one, we give you the reasons why we think digital minimalism is a great lifestyle. We believe that if you have read the chapter, you may want to start actualizing digital minimalism in no time. No time for bullshit!

So, in this chapter we are going to be presenting twenty digital minimalism tips that when properly applied, people will take you for a pro. And not only that, you will get more value for your life using these tips.

So let’s get started!

Below are 20 top minimalism tips. We hope you find great benefits in using them and sharing them with others.

  1. Find Offline Alternatives to Everything

This probably scared you! But it is very possible (and profitable too) to find an offline alternative to everything you are doing online. Of course, you shouldn’t be too quick to forget that almost every online activity is an adaptation of an offline alternative. From chatting to exchanging emails to playing games, all of these activities have a non-electronic alternative.

If any online activity is consuming your time, limiting your happiness or hindering your productivity, find an offline alternative. It is that straightforward.

  1. Restrict Channels of Incoming Digital Information

You will naturally be overwhelmed with information if you use multiple related digital devices. Many of us live with various forms of digital devices that basically overlap in function. Most phones nowadays can serve many of the functions of a laptop, yet we still keep laptops. Laptops are increasingly getting equipped to serve the functions of a TV, but we still keep TVs. Our phones have FM radio, yet we still download internet radios to join, and the list goes on.

Oops!

One of the most effective means of cutting down on the level of irrelevant information you are consuming and becoming a digital minimalist may simply be cutting down on the number of digital devices you own. List out all the digital devices you have and select at least one of them to give out in charity or sell out. It is great if your smartphone becomes the one to give out, but not many people can do this.

If you are not ready to give out any digital devices right now, you can…

  1. Disconnect From The Digital Space For One Day Every week

This has already gained a wide acceptance, and that’s a welcome development. Some called the act “Digital Detoxification”. It is simply pulling out of all sources of digital intrusion for a specified period of time. Many have praised it as being enormously beneficial.

This is especially a useful way for those who are addicted to social media and the internet to gradually cure their addiction by deliberately reducing the quantity of content they are exposed to, and gradually, the length of time they are exposed to it.

If you want to go through this method, you can start by disconnecting for one day a week and gradually move to two days a week once you get used to the former. This can continue until you are sure you are being exposed to only the optimal level of information you need and not an overload, even if you end up being online for only three days a week!

Or alternatively, you can simply…

  1. Unsubscribe

“Unsubscribe” is a word that almost means “freedom” in the digital world! Freedom from spams, freedom from adverts, freedom from useless newsletters, freedom from annoying notifications!

While it may seem like you will be missing out if you unsubscribe from some online services, this is only a false fear initiated by your primordial need as an Infovore. Be true to yourself, how many of  what you subscribe to did you ever follow up? Why don’t you simply Unsubscribe instead of gathering gigabyte loads of information while waiting for that magical period in the future when you will have time to check it all (that time may never come).

Start to unsubscribe and start gaining your online freedom. This should help you simplify your digital life.

  1. Keep Your Email Inbox Clean

Email is the dearest online service for most of us. It is through it that many carry on personal correspondence with friends and family, do serious business with the world, and even conduct online financial transactions. In fact (especially among seniors) some people’s only link with the online world may be through emails.

For many of us, it is because of this multi-use that usually make our email inbox the most crowded corner of our digital existence. Many of us have simply accepted the situation that way and learn to live with it, but that pile won’t go anywhere and might haunt the organization of our correspondences later. There are two ways out of this:

 i. We can choose to “ruthlessly” clear all unneeded but unopened emails in our inbox.

ii. We can choose to have separate email addresses for personal correspondence, business, financial transactions, and another solely to subscribe for newsletters and other similar subscription services.

To learn how to manage your inbox like a pro, please go to Chapter 4 of this guide.

If having too much emails is not your problem but rather the urge to repeatedly check it, then you can…

An example of a digital minimalist room
  1. Check Emails Only Once Per Day

Understandably, this might be a bespoke solution for people with a bespoke addiction problem: People who can’t seem to take their hands off from opening the latest email notification bar! Please try what is on the heading, and with discipline, you will conquer your addiction in a short time.

  1. Delete Old Documents

Just as you can simplify your online life by keeping your email inbox clean, so you can simplify it further by clearing away old files and documents.

Many of such documents litter the nook and cranny of our computers; relics of computer activities that were once important but which have become irrelevant. Clearing off old unused documents and files may have the first advantage of making your computer faster, and thereby injecting speed and efficiency into your digital life. It also has the additional advantage of simplifying your online assets and keeping you focused only on the documents/files you need.

  1. Reduce What is On Your Desktop Homepage

Some desktop homepages are a nightmarish collection of shortcuts, documents, and files! We all often find it easier to put documents and files on our desktop homepage (for easier reach) until it gets so much that it becomes a terrible clutter!

While you may shrug this off and say you have no problem with your desktop full of small icons, try reducing their number and see if your digital life won’t breathe easier! You might be surprised to realize you don’t actually need many of it.

  1. Uninstall Unnecessary But Distracting Software

You are probably guessing we will talk about some of your social media apps here. No! Not yet!

As it is getting easier to procure apps that claim to help us in doing almost everything, it is also getting easier to get distracted by them. Let’s face it; many of these apps work by being too noisy, too flashy, or giving us too many options and too much feedback! All these contribute to them being a source of a hindrance rather than a source of help in most cases. Digital Minimalists and infovores are quickly realizing uninstalling them out of their life is improving their productivity. Don’t be left behind.

  1. Minimizing Your Accounts

Don’t open an account with any website unless you really need to. Before you open an account with a website, please ask yourself the following questions:

i. Does this website have any significant value it can add to my life?

ii. Do I have an account with a similar website? If yes, why do I still need this one?

iii. Will this website send me notifications or newsletters? If yes, do I really need them?

iv. Will I be able to easily close my account with this website if there is a need to?

v. Is this website a digital time-waster? If yes, why must I waste my time? Please read Chapter one to learn more about digital time-wasters.

If after asking all these questions, you still see reasons for opening the account, then you may go ahead. If not, kindly leave the website and never visit it again. Your time is more important!

If you have already opened dozens of online accounts, then consider…

Unused accounts belong in a dustbin, don't allow them to bother you with notifications.
  1. Close Unused Accounts

In our pursuit of information and online resources, it’s often necessary to create accounts with many online channels. As often as it goes, many of the benefits that accrue from such accounts will be temporary, and we are left with an account that keeps sending us notifications and spams.

Having many unused accounts also makes you vulnerable (from a cyber-security point of view). We recommend you close all excess and unused accounts. Depending on the number of online accounts you have, you should be able to achieve this in a day or less.

  1. Drop off Social Media

Dropping off or knowing how to use the social media is an integral part of digital minimalism. One thing that can frustrate your effort to be a true digital minimalist is the social media, and it is better you know how to treat social media channels. If you can, we will recommend you avoid using the social media altogether. However, if this is extremely difficult, you can learn how to use it smartly. Please read Chapter 5 of this guide to learn how to manage social media as a digital minimalist.

  1. Limit the Time You Spend Online

What do we have clocks and watches for if not to keep a tab on how time goes? Strangely enough, many of us seem to have invented the concept of “unlimited time” for ourselves whenever we are online. This is bad for productivity. You will gain a lot of extra time for other activities if you reduce the time you spend online. Also, the lesser the time you spend online, the easier it becomes to simplify your online life in the long run.

If you find it difficult restricting the time you spend online, you can employ the work of time management apps to assist you. To learn how to do this, please go to Chapter 7 of this guide.

  1. Start Mellowing, Stop Reacting on Social Media

Among the bigger drain of productivity out there is the energy and time we all expend daily arguing and showing all sorts of reactions on social media on almost every post we come across! This is usually very unnecessary.

In 2013, Facebook revealed it was getting 4.5 billion likes daily.[2] Even so, this figure has not shown any sign of decreasing significantly soon.

This gargantuan number of reactions accumulating from the MILLIONS of people who are logged in every hour daily shows how obsessed many of us are with social media. The fact that this is a daily figure also doesn’t say well about how the majority of social media users spend their time. The ratio of the number of daily users to the number of Like is very great.

To know how to behave with social media as a digital minimalist, please go to Chapter 5 of this guide.

  1. Embrace Cloud Computing

Most cool Infovores are embracing cloud computing. It really simplifies online life! Cloud computing is simply storing your data and other digital files on an online storage medium through the internet. This means you can store all your most important files on a data bank on the internet rather than on a physical storage device.

Cloud computing has the great advantage of simplifying your online life by putting everything you need in one place. What you store on the cloud can also be accessed by different devices, thereby helping you reach your vital files using the most nearby devices to you (that can connect to the internet). With cloud computing, you can easily do away with carrying multiple digital devices about.

  1. Combine Your Digital Chores and Do Them All at Once

Set aside time to do all your digital chores at a go. If you don’t do this, a lot of time might be wasted on tasks that shouldn’t take long. For example, in just one hour, you can back up your laptop, pay your bills online, fill forms, and reply to emails.

It is a method that has worked for many people who want to get back their time and simplify their online life.

  1. Manage Your Notifications and Updates

Notifications are like beacons calling you to stay longer online, and it’s hard to ignore them for long. If you have a weakness for attending to all notifications, no matter how irrelevant it might be, then it is best to manage it by using other less intrusive options usually provided by digital devices. Many phones have the “Do Not Disturb” feature; you can enable this feature to prevent distractions.

Note: When Do Not Disturb is active, you may be unable to receive calls. However, many phones give you the opportunity to select what can disturb you when the Do Not Disturb is active.

  1. Use Less Social Media Platforms

Have you tried checking if you really need to be registered on more than one social media platform? Being a registered, active member of multiple social media platforms can be a great drain on time and resources. If you want to really get back your time and simplify your online life, reduce the number of social media platforms on which you are registered.

  1. Get More Offline Friends

A great reason why our digital existence consumes so much of our time is that a large amount of the time is spent “maintaining” online friends. While online friends are easier to make, they are actually time-consuming to maintain. Real physical friends, on the other hand, are easy to maintain — a weekly visit to a friend will likely have a more positive impact on the friendship than perpetual online chatting. Keeping more offline friends is a great digital minimalism tip if you want to declutter your digital life.

  1. Learn a new skill

Learning a new skill is a great way to limit the time spent wandering aimlessly online. In addition, learning and practicing a new skill brings satisfaction that you can’t get aimlessly surfing the internet. Consider learning a new skill and see how easy it becomes to spend your time wisely.

Conclusion

You can quickly turn around your life for good by practicing the digital minimalism tips mentioned above.

More importantly, if you apply the digital minimalist tips mentioned above, it is almost certain that you will have more free time. If you don’t fill this free time with things that have great values and a rewarding experience, your digital minimalism journey is not likely to last long, and it is likely you will fall back to your old ways. You will fall back into using your digital devices aimlessly and wasting time.

To learn about those things you can fill your free time with, please go to Chapter 8.

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