Tech
5 Simple Ways to Make Your Tech Less Distracting
We spend most of our day with a screen in arm’s reach—if not directly in our hands. And while tech has made everything from ordering groceries to remembering birthdays easier, it’s also quietly training our brains to never stop pinging. If you’ve ever picked up your phone to check the time and found yourself on Instagram 12 minutes later—this one’s for you. These five changes won’t turn you into a digital minimalist overnight, but they will help you reclaim a little mental space without going completely off-grid.
1. Turn Off All Non-Essential Notifications
Start here. Most of your stress doesn’t come from the apps you use—it comes from the ones that shout at you all day. That news alert? That random app update? That email that didn’t need to be urgent?
What to do:
Go into your notification settings and turn off anything that isn’t a direct message from a human you know. That includes social media likes, shopping apps, and news pings. You’ll still get to them—on your time.
2. Move Your Most Addictive Apps Off Your Home Screen
Your brain loves convenience. That’s why tapping TikTok out of habit is so easy—it’s right there. But out of sight really can mean out of mind.
What to do:
Move time-sucking apps like Instagram, Twitter/X, or YouTube into a folder on the second page of your home screen. Or better yet—use the search bar to open them manually. Adding even a small “friction” step makes you pause and ask: Do I really want to open this right now?
3. Use “Do Not Disturb” Like It’s a Productivity Tool—Because It Is
You don’t need to be available 24/7. “Do Not Disturb” isn’t just for bedtime—it’s for protecting your focus during the day, too.
What to do:
Set up custom DND modes: one for work hours, one for focus time, and one for walking or meals. You can allow calls from specific people (like family or your boss) and block everything else. It’s like carving out digital boundaries—without anyone even noticing.
4. Switch to Grayscale When You’re Doomscrolling
Here’s a sneaky but brilliant fix: your brain responds less to apps when your screen is in black and white. Suddenly, everything feels a bit… boring. And that’s the point.
What to do:
On iPhones, go to Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters > Grayscale. On Android, it’s usually under Developer Options or Digital Wellbeing settings. Try toggling it on during late-night scrolling or breaks. It’s surprisingly effective.
5. Use Widgets for What You Actually Need—Not Just Aesthetic Vibes
Widgets aren’t just for showing off your Spotify or moon phases. They can replace the reason you picked up your phone in the first place—like checking the time, calendar, or weather—without pulling you into a scroll.
What to do:
Add a clean, minimalist widget to your home screen that shows only what you need most (like your next event, the time in another time zone, or a to-do list). The more useful info on the home screen, the fewer excuses to go digging.
The Takeaway
You don’t need a digital detox. You need digital boundaries—the kind that help your tech work for you, not against you. With a few small shifts, you can keep the convenience, lose the chaos, and start feeling a little more in control of your time.
