Notifications turned off
No alerts, no badges and no social apps, so the phone only interrupts when you let it
Switching off every push notification and deleting the apps that generate the worst of them. The phone then becomes something you pick up on purpose. Most people who do this keep calls and messages and kill the rest: social feeds, news alerts, email badges, games. What they report is less about saved minutes and more about who sets the agenda for their attention during the day. Setup takes an afternoon in settings. After that comes about a week of reaching for a phone with nothing new on it.
Who backs it
Sorted by strength of stance
- Ryan HolidayDoes it
Writer · The Daily Stoic
No alerts, no social media and no news on his phone; he keeps it for music, podcasts, calls and email. AirPods help it stay in his pocket, and he credits Cal Newport's digital minimalism for the framing.
Source: RyanHoliday.net: Here's Some Stuff Worth Carrying With You Everywhere
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under focus or stress.
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Daily meditation
10-20 minutes of formal practice, most days
Backed by 20 of 54 stacks: 16 do it, 1 recommend it, 3 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
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Regular time with your own thoughts and no other inputs
Backed by 12 of 54 stacks: 9 do it, 3 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Daily prayer
A fixed time for prayer each morning, before the phone and before the day starts
Backed by 4 of 54 stacks: 4 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Personal mantra
A quote kept where you will see it before you perform, taped up or written on your gear
Backed by 4 of 54 stacks: 4 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Quitting social media
Deleting the accounts rather than trying to use them less
Backed by 2 of 54 stacks: 2 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Chess
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Backed by 1 of 54 stacks: 1 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.