Newsletter issue #6: Productive Digital Diet

2023 Stats:

• Globally, people average 6 hours 58 minutes of screen time per day.

• Gen Z averages around 9 hours of screen time per day.

• 39% of social media users report that they are addicted to social media.

• 67% of adolescents report feeling worse about their own lives as a result of their social media use.

• Adolescents who spend more than 3 hours a day on social have an increased risk of mental health struggles.
  _{Resource 1 Resource 2}

Impact:

• scattered focus

• dopamine deficiency

• constant distractions

• lower productivity level

• mental health struggles

• judging and comparing all day

Let’s change that.

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Big Idea #1: 3 ways to digital diet

Similarly to a food diet, what makes it work is 1 of 3 kinds of restriction:

1. restricting certain foods (keto, paleo, etc.)

2. restricting the consumption window (intermittent fasting)

3. restricting the calorie intake (e.g., < 2200 calories per day)

The parallel that I want to make here is that you can do the same for your digital diet:

1. Digital value-only diet

• Unsubscribe from junk emails, negative accounts, and anything else that triggers unwanted emotions in you.

• Do subscribe to the content that brings you value in the form of knowledge, entertainment, and joy.

• Consider using website blockers like Freedom.

2. Digital intermittent fasting

• What should be your consumption window?

• Start by not using your phone 1 hour before and after bedtime.
  E.g. If you sleep from 10 PM-6 AM, then your digital fasting window can be 9 PM-7 AM. Then, gradually increase it.

3. Cap the minutes - screen time 

• Either limit the screen time entirely or on a platform basis.

• You can easily add the limits on your phone in settings and you might also try screen-time management apps such as Opal.

Big Idea #2: One-time small tweaks → Massive impact

• Greyscale mode

  • Less colours → less visual stimulation → less reward (dopamine) → less addiction.

  • Add on iPhone: Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters > ON toggle > Greyscale.

  • iPhone shortcut: You can add a triple-click-side-button shortcut to turn greyscale on/off: Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut > Colour filters.

  • Add on Android: Settings > Accessibility > Visibility enhancements > Greyscale.

• Time limits on apps

  • The apps get locked after reaching a daily time limit set by the user. This restriction is a helpful way to take control of the time spent on addictive platforms that encourage excessive screen time.

  • iPhone: Settings > Screen Time > App Limits > Add Limit > Choose Apps > Next > set time limit > Add.

  • Android: Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls > tap the chart > next to the app you want to limit, tap Set timer > set time limit > Ok.

• Screen time widget on your home screen

  • Monitor your daily digital consumption with an app breakdown throughout the day.

  • Either add a built-in screen time widget or try out a screen-time management app, such as Opal.

• Disable notifications on every app

  • Every notification is a distraction whether you check it or not.

  • >99% of your notifications do not need to be handled within hours after receiving them.

  • You can live in a world where it is up to you when you check your messages.

  • Do not let the app send you notifications to begin with.

  • If it does, you can disable them as you receive them on iPhone.

  • Or you can go to Settings > Notifications > Choose app > Disable notifications.

  • iPhone steps (video)

• Remove addictive apps from your home screen

  • You won’t accidentally open it. You will always need to go to search and type the app name to find and open it. Do not underestimate the power of those few seconds in between.
    

• Unsubscribe or block

  • Try website blockers like Freedom.

Big Idea #3: Small habits → Massive impact

MORNINGS

Spend at least the first hour of the day without checking your phone.
Instead: cuddle, stretch, journal, meditate, workout, or go for a walk.

I always keep in mind two rules:

1. Sunlight before screen light.

2. Creative before reactive (or create before consuming).

This has been a life-changer for me and my clients. You’ll thank me later.

DURING THE DAY

1. The best productivity app is Airplane Mode. Use it during focus times.

2. Establish an emergency channel with your family/team - allow notifications only there. Set boundaries with everyone not to use it for non-urgent non-important items. This platform will be the only one that can send you notifications while the rest are off.

3. Close all tabs except the one or two you are working on. This will help you reduce distraction and time waste from consuming non-urgent non-important information.
   I am struggling with this one myself, but I am yet to experience a problem after closing something and not being able to find it later.
   
   Pro tip: You can create a bookmark folder and save all your tabs there before closing them. You will then notice how rarely you go to that bookmark folder if ever.

EVENINGS

Practice digital sunset: Turn off your devices at least 1 hour before bedtime.

It is not just about the blue light, it is about the unneeded stimulation for your mind when it should be relaxing.

If you are entertaining yourself on your phone up until bedtime and then expect to have a good sleep, it is like driving 70 km/h by car one second and trying to park it the next.

You need time to unwind.

Opt for a calm conversation, a reflective journaling practice, a not-super-exciting book, a relaxing bath, yoga nidra (NSDR), or some light stretching.

Pro tip: I also use this time to prepare things for tomorrow: lay out my clothes, pack a gym bag, make a tea blend for my morning herbal tea, etc.

Big Idea #4: Optional purchases if you have a budget for it.

If you find that you get carried away on addictive apps when you need your phone for a particular function, such as:

• checking today’s weather

• turning off your alarm

• using a calculator

• taking a photo

→ Outsource all those functions to different stationery items.
Consider getting:

• an outdoor thermometer

• a bedside alarm clock

• an actual calculator

• a real camera

Get creative.

Big Idea #5: Consider doing a digital cleanse.

A dopamine detox can be particularly helpful if it's challenging for you to distance yourself from your phone. By deleting social media and other addictive apps for 30 days, you're taking a step to address the potential dopamine deficit caused by excessive digital media consumption.

This detox aims to reset your dopamine levels to a healthier baseline, allowing you to reintegrate social media into your life in a more balanced manner.

It's important to remember that these apps are intentionally designed to be addictive, so there's no need to feel ashamed about taking control of your digital habits.

Tiny Habit: Take ownership of your mood

In the whirlwind of our daily lives, our minds are bombarded with millions of pieces of information every single second.

But here's the remarkable truth: amidst this constant influx, our brain's capacity for processing information effectively maxes out at just 40 bits.

Remember this fact during those challenging moments of overwhelming stress and anxiety. When you feel it, it's crucial to be mindful of the 40 bits you're allowing to occupy your thoughts.

If frustration, anger, or irritation begin to consume you, it's as if you've chosen the wrong set of 40 bits—the ones that lead to negativity and distress.

In those moments, pause. Take a few deep, grounding breaths and consciously expand your thinking. Deliberately shift your focus towards the empowering and positive 40 bits of information within your grasp.

By doing so, you take control of your mental landscape, directing your thoughts toward a brighter, more optimistic perspective.

The Productivist Question

Speaking of our habits, here’s a question for you to reflect on:

If I repeat the behaviours I do today for the next 365 days, would it give me the life I want or the life I don’t want?

Until next week,

Valeriya

PS: I’ll be in Austin this week! If you have any recommendations or must-visit places, feel free to share them with me! 💎

Two more ways I can help you:

1. Download your free copy of Success Secrets if you haven’t already.

2. If you want to work 1:1 with me, you can book a session here. Let’s get you your dream lifestyle.