FMP 037 • Digital Minimalism for Improved Attention and Mood

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“You already have everything you need…”

Why Digital Minimalism?

In today’s episode, I reflect on the attention dominating and anxiety provoking nature of modern tech on our day-to-day lives. After briefly discussion to leaders in the digital minimalism space (Cal Newport and Matt D’Avella), I review my own maximalist ways. This is followed by a review of how I am addressing each primary area (physical tech, apps on my phone, and the tools we use at Finding My Psych).

Two Critical Questions

Minimizing the impact of tech in our life is a critical step towards improving our mood. There is no doubt that technology serves a purpose in our lives. However, in the end, every tool we use should be examined against two basic questions. If the answer is not, “Yes” to both, you don’t need it:

• “Is it Helpful?”
• “Does it serve me?”

Episode Outline

Welcome to 037 – Digital Minimalism

1. What We Do
   • Behavioral Medicine and Health Psychology
2. Today:
   • Digital Minimalism: Improving Attention and Mood
3. Personal Challenge
   • No alcohol for 90 days (March 5th, 2020)
     • I am targeting health when we all need it most.
     • Clarifying the function in plays in my life (to relax, connecting with others, etc.).
     • Moving a habit to a treat.

Defining Digital Minimalism

1. Cal Newport: “Minimalism is the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. It’s the key to living a focused life in an increasingly noisy world.”
   • Wrote the book, “Digital Minimalism – Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World“
2. Matt D’Avella: A great place to watching an influencer’s journey of digital minimalism.
   • Directed the moving, “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things“
3. Maximalism: Affect On Attention and Mood

My Maximalist Life

1. Tech
   • Running Trackers – Both Garmin and Apple Watch
2. Apps
   • Digital Note Apps
   • Note Taking Apps
   • Spotify and Apple Music
   • Email Management
   • Unused Apps
   • Multiple Subscriptions
3. On Finding My Psych
   • Google Analytics Tracking
   • Unused Systems (e.g. Zendesk Chat)

My Minimalist Experiment

1. Fixing All the Above
   • Not to be confused with privacy (minimalistic by nature).
2. Focusing My Attention
   • I turned off notifications on Garmin Watch and iPhone.
   • I removed social media from my iPhone.
3. Purpose Driven Tech
   • 80-20 Rule (Analogue to Tech)
   • Always Ask:
     • “Is it Helpful?”
     • “Does it serve me?”
4. Athletics
   • Focus on the experience and not the metrics (as much as possible). We need metrics for feedback. It should not run our life.
5. Golden Rule
   • “If it can be done in person, it should ALWAYS be done in person.”