Over the years, I’ve made some “digital decisions” that have gone a long way in keeping my mind and heart free from being overwhelmed by all the digital distractions we have in life.
Our phones, social media, email, & online activities are not in and of themselves bad, but our minds, hearts, & bodies were never meant to have the 24-7 access to news, information, entertainment, & relationships that they the digital age has given us.
So, in an attempt to guard my own heart, mind, & time, here are the five best digital decisions I have made:
1 – I turned off all social media and email notifications, alerts, and badges on all devices
I only know if I got an email, DM, like, follow, or comment if I open the email or social media app. This one decision has been a game changer for me in the number of dings, alerts, & buzzes in my life.
I know for some people, your job requires you to receive email alerts. I get it. But if you’re able to do this, it is a game changer. Most likely, you could turn off your personal email alerts & leave your work one on.
I actually have very few apps that I allow any kind of notifications. VERY few! I want to limit the maximum number of distractions as I can so no ESPN alerts, bank alerts, news alerts, or any of that.
2 – I moved all my email and social media access to the last page of my iPhone
This requires me to take more effort and time to go open it up. Small, but impactful change, as it makes me consciously think about what I’m doing.
3 – I keep my phone on do not disturb at all times
If I get a text or phone call, my phone does not buzz or ring. In my settings, the only people that get through on a phone call are my immediate family, my best friend, & a few others from work.
I only know I have a text, phone call, or GroupMe message if I look at my phone.
4 – I don’t use my phone as an alarm or a clock at night, & I don’t check my phone when I wake up
I use a digital alarm clock. I can see what time it is & have an alarm without needing to look at my phone.
I also made the decision to not check any text messages, email, news, or social media until after I have done my time with God in the Word each morning.
The only exception is if one of my kids or family members are traveling or experiencing something in life I need to be informed on.
5 – I only spend 30 minutes a day on social media
This is the most recent decision I have made and it has been so good for my soul. I put a time limit on my social media in settings, and when it hits 30 minutes, I either have to stop, or manually override to continue.
I have done the override a few times, but for the most part, I stick to the 30 minutes per day. That means when I’m on social media, most of my time is spent posting or managing what I post, not dead scrolling my feed.