What isn’t digital in our lives, besides what you eat or drink? Thankfully, only robots eat zeros and ones. Everywhere we turn there is an option for digitalizing our lives, work, health, workout and the list goes on. At this point in our digital society, we could use ways to curate and control our digital world so to ensure we still can learn, live and love (and eat) without it. Productivity is supposed to be increased with all these digital apps, yet we are less productive, less focused on what matters and less happy than ever due to our fixation on every shiny digital dopamine hit of something new.
Being aware and deliberate in how we utilize digital technology helps to ensure it adds value to our life’s vs distract and suppress our lives.
Let’s start by identifying your digital triggers. In 2024, the typical individual dedicates 10+ hours per day to screen time on devices like the one you are probably on right now. Most people start their day by checking their smartphone and then immediately start scrolling somewhere longer than expected. Doing this can initiate immediate satisfaction of knowing “what’s going on” and then very quickly prompts aimless browsing which drains your time, energy, and focus throughout the day.
How are you supposed to focus on your day after that? Do you remember how to focus on something without a stimulant, external stress, or some high-pressure deadline? Mindful digital usage is important for focus and energy throughout the day, let alone well-being in life.
I practice 4 functional ways to improve my relationship with digital everything so that I can enable focus and positive energy in my day. I’m not always perfect at practicing every one of these, every day, yet I do use multiple or all of these, most of the time.
4 Proven Tips for Digital Mindfulness:
✅Daily Mantra or Meditation: Just say this each morning when you wake up and while getting ready — “My mind is more important. My focus brings more productivity. My happiness is driven by my actions, starting today.” Feel free to revise this to best suit your needs and your day.
✅Mindful Mornings: This is a biggie — this one habit can give hours of concentrated focus each morning, and remember focus brings you productivity then results. Most people know this yet still need to hear it again — do not check your smartphone apps first thing in the morning! Try this step-by-step instead.
Step 1. Turn off your alarm (likely your smartphone is your alarm and that’s ok, but use it only to turn off your alarm).
Step 2. Get up. Seriously, get up right away and go to step 3.
Step 3. Walk to the bathroom/closet/kitchen etc. Simply walking away from your digital device with help with your day’s focus.
Step 4. Begin your ‘getting ready’ routine.
Step 5. Recite your daily mantra or meditation.
Step 6. Repeat step 5 until you are ready for the day. This routine includes getting kids/family/pets ready for the day.
Step 7. Collect your smartphone and digital devices needed for the day and put them in your backpack, handbag, brief, etc. Let’s face it, if someone REALLY needs you, if something is REALLY urgent, you will get a phone call so you do not need to constantly check if something is urgent while getting ready for your day. Texting, apps, and social media are NOT for urgent matters.
Your life is calling you back to focus and productivity. This is the best way to begin your day.
✅Screentime Blocks: Once you are ready for the day, give yourself 5 mins to check for anything pressing (remember, it’s not urgent or they would call) from a text or message. 5 minutes is enough to signal anything pressing. You will have more time within another block to focus on all messages, e-matters, and posts to take note of, or dig into the details of your digital world. Your day may include an early morning workout, yoga, or meditation, the idea is to create a schedule block in your day. As an example, a daily screentime/digital block looks like this:
7:30–8am Finish getting ready, and prep for the day, including 5 mins of quick review of any pressing texts or emails.
8–9am Drive time/listen to news, music, audiobooks.
9–10am Yes, what you have been waiting for — 60 minutes dedicated to a digital download of information.
10–12pm Work time focus on important matters/what must get done today.
12–1pm Lunch/mid-day break with a max of 15 minutes spent on your phone.
1–3pm Meetings/work time focus/catch up or planning for important aspects of your life and/or work.
3–5pm Here it is again — 2 long dedicated hours of digital download or uploads, send/receive data, emails, IGs postings, etc.
5–7pm Dinner/family time/post-work activities/workout/errands/etc.
7–8pm Personal time/family focus.
8–9pm Optional digital personal time or catch up on anything the day needs to feel more fulfilled. This may be an optional time in your day to scroll.😉
9pm+ Prepare for the next day/prepare for a good night’s sleep.
Concentrate your digital time efforts in blocks of time to be more useful and functional, and less unfulfilling scroll time disrupts, leaving you more stressed, unproductive, and unhappy with yourself.
✅Journaling: This is such a powerful tool in life for goals, feelings, ideas, actions, notes, and more. By writing down your distractions, you can overcome them. Over the day identify your external notifications and internal emotional triggers that may either make you feel less empowered, or sad, or even cause you to procrastinate something that should have more focus in your day.
I’m confident that utilizing any or all of these tips will positively impact your day and your digital wellness! Let me know how they worked for you. For more wellness tips, sign up for my wellness newsletter here.