Digital Minimalism sounds like a backwards push to the times when we didn’t have the internet, and in more ways than one, this can seem like a counter-productive approach to having work done, especially as a remote worker.
Let’s face the facts: if you’re working from home, your bread and butter has much to do with investing in the best work laptops, and other technologies that can boost your productivity while working remotely. However, there will come a time when the technology overwhelm can border on the excess, cloaked merely as ‘necessity.’
Just a few years ago, we were so glad at the usage of the cell phone to contact each other through calls and texts, now we can’t seem to last a day without constant messaging and listless social media scrolling. At Rocket Station, we’re inviting you to truly ask yourselves this important question: Do you really need all that?
Enter—Digital Minimalism
In 2017, Cal Newport released a book entitled, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. The title alone is enough to leave a rather social media fraught generation aghast with anticipation and curiosity.
“Digital Minimalism? I wouldn’t dare! But would I?”
It sounds radical. And again, it even sounds counter-productive. But as Newport explains, this book is not anti-technology. This book is anti-technology excess. Which makes a huge difference. Simply put: Digital Minimalism is being more intentional with the technology one uses and therefore, cuts out the unnecessary excess.
Why do we even need Digital Minimalism?
Digital Minimalism is important to achieve balance, especially for remote working professionals. The overwhelm can be consuming to a point of unfocused and distracted behavior, which can show up as: scrolling listlessly throughout productive time or endlessly replying to emails that offer no work output or spending too much time on one’s laptop on planning but never doing.
If this sounds familiar to you, you’ll need the following advice below:
How can we practice it?
Delete social media apps or any distracting apps from your phone to lessen your phone ‘pick-up’ times. Access social media through the desktop if you must or find ways to access these apps outside of your phone.
Be intentional about your usage. This isn’t about deleting your accounts or depriving yourself. This is about being mindful of how technology can haywire our brains. Give every app, technology, gadget a purposeful job and stick to it.
Take advantage of slow news, instead of gathering news from platforms that can have a lot of fake news, subscribe to just one credible source you trust that can efficiently hash out important data.
Tailor-fit your approach and keep it consistent. Not everyone is the same. Newport and other professionals in this movement highly recommend against going cold turkey on the apps and technologies that distract us. Rather, they recommend a more gradual approach that helps wean us out of brain washing.
Get into doing hobbies that use manual dexterity, or simply, use your hands more. Get into gardening, crafts, journaling or better yet, into meditation and exercise. If that isn’t accessible to you, place all your gadgets on hold and have yourself work on simple things or chores that require your hands and headspace out of technology.
Have a set schedule to converse with people online, and whenever possible, meet people in person (preferably after the pandemic or with safety protocols)
July is Global Enterprise Agility Month, and Rocket Station seeks to become part of this venture by sharing tips, tricks, and tools to help people become better leaders, strategic thinkers and team members.
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