Rules by which the use of gadgets will become a useful action and will not take away your resources (time, attention, mental energy). By following just these points alone, you can noticeably improve the quality of your life: become more attentive, energetic, productive, and joyful.
- eliminate the device as a rest
After work, we often spoil ourselves with social media (news feeds, photos of friends, memes), mistakenly believing that this is how we relax. In fact, we have continued to burden our brains with intellectual work, and we still do. The main rest for the brain is a change of activity. And if we sit at our desk all day staring at a screen and do the same thing after work, it’s definitely not a rest for the brain. It’s also consuming information, not resting. A worthy alternative would be a walk in the fresh air, breathing practices, communication with loved ones. - Don’t use the device in every free minute
We all know the situation: we are sitting in a cafe, and as soon as a friend goes to the restroom, we grab our smartphone. Or we go out and get dressed before anyone else, of course, it’s a good time to get caught up in the screen. Such actions indicate a strong habit: automatically grabbing the phone as soon as there is a pause. By all means, we clog up our time by wandering online. This exacerbates our attachment to the device and contributes to the fact that we are increasingly using it precisely aimlessly. Think of a useful substitute activity for such occasions. I have a separate memo with a list of options. They are much more useful than mindlessly bobbing about in social networks. - define a clear timeframe for communication.
We’re used to responding to messages as soon as we see a notification. I recommend, first of all, to turn off notifications (about this next), and secondly, to clearly distinguish the working from non-working hours. This way you can concentrate longer on the necessary processes, without wasting your mental energy on switching from topic to topic. And you won’t need to focus on these processes again afterwards. In addition, when you consciously schedule separate time for communication, you value this time more and communicate with the person in a thoughtful way.
4- Determine a clear time for digital entertainment
There’s nothing shameful about watching a new episode of your favorite TV series or show on YouTube. The important thing is that it should be scheduled. Not the moment YouTube yanked you with a notification and you dropped everything to indulge yourself. Digital entertainment gives us dopamine. Easily accessible and undeserved. So if you’re having fun first and then trying to work, your brain will strongly protest: why should it work when it already has the opportunity to “dopamine” for free online. So don’t shoot down your reward system and have fun at your scheduled hour.
- Determine in advance how much time will be devoted to any business online
There are times when we need to find some product online, such as headphones. We look at the top of the best quality models, read the reviews of those who have already bought them, check the prices and the characteristics – these processes are very tiring and can last for hours. To avoid this happening and to avoid wasting your day, you should determine in advance how much time you want to spend on such search. Let’s say an hour. We all know how miraculous deadlines are. It’s the same case here. You’ll either find what you’re looking for faster, or you’ll put it off until the next approach, without wasting all the energy of the day on one action. - One day a week to free yourself completely from any technique
This is my favorite item. Because it has a miraculous effect on our dopamine system, sharpening the sensitivity of our dopamine receptors and bringing back the brightness of life. In my courses, as an option, I recommend a total dopamine reset affecting all areas of life. But most people don’t have the ability to arrange such a thing. Therefore, as an alternative, I suggest a mini version of a reboot in the form of a day off from gadgets. This practice is very powerful in replenishing internal resources. - Make a plan for the next day in the evening
Our brain definitely needs something to occupy itself with. And if you haven’t thought of any tasks for it, it will think them up for itself. And the easier they are, the more the brain will be happy. That’s how we suddenly find ourselves in the middle of an unplanned “gap. To avoid such mishaps, prescribe tasks for the brain in advance. And if you do it in the evening, overnight your brain will come up with ways to implement the tasks you set. - Remove time-killing distracting apps from your device
Do an audit on your smartphone. Which apps are of no practical use? Which ones mercilessly consume your time and stultify your brain? Who is the weakest link)? Delete them. Then chances are your mental energy will be wasted on something worthwhile.