A while ago, I broke my iPhone 15 Pro, and I wasn’t willing to get one because the iPhone 16 Pro was about to launch in 1 month.
This happened to me before, because I have a knack for breaking phones every year.
- I don’t use a phone case ever
- I am very careless about my iPhone, and that’s probably my fault
Nonetheless, this event triggered something, forcing me to go deeper, embracing digital minimalism, and reassessing my values with hardware and tech again.
Over the years, I have already started a digital declutter.
Distancing myself from applications on my iPhone, like YouTube, news apps, or distracting applications that would increase my screen time.
I eventually started doing the same on every Apple device (iPad Pro, MacBook, Mac Mini).
This allowed me to create different values, breaking those compulsive habits, such as grabbing your phone for every spare second.
This time, when my iPhone 15 Pro broke, I informed my wife that I would be without a phone for a month, and that was perfectly fine with her.
- She wasn’t going on a trip
- We use Line App & iMessage, which I already have on iPad and Mac
- She has access to all my bank apps and other sensitive stuff, so no need to monitor that
One month became two. Two months ended up being four, before I dragged myself to the Apple store and got a new iPhone.
But what I experienced, being phoneless, was amazing:
- I sleep better
- I feel happier
- I was filling dead voids with more useful activities
- I realized how much I don’t need a phone
- My mental state improved
- My work-life balance improved
- I had better and focused days
- I was enjoying outdoor activities with my wife much more
There were a few challenges I couldn’t ignore, but I solved that with an older iPhone 12 Pro (the back was completely cracked), to receive possible 2FA text messages.
It was since that moment, I realized how much I want to live a life that embraces digital minimalism.
You can have all the money in the world, but health can deteriorate so fast because you’re lacking sleep or start to fill your minutes, hours, and days with brainrotting activities.
The biggest win is that I broke a bad habit, and revisited my true needs, and now that I am back as a content creator/blogger, my tech became purposeful again.
Clutter Test
I applied the clutter test and asked myself if an app or item supports something I deeply value. Followed by a second question if I were to get the same or better benefits in a less distracting way.
If the answer is no on either question, then you eliminate it, or find a better alternative.
One of the examples would be where I trimmed down my entire productivity stack, driven by Apple native applications.
Each component (Notes, Reminders, Pages, Calendar) works flawlessly without third parties or integrations that make it more complicated than it should be.
Improved My Operating Procedures
Because I removed 80% of the applications, I shifted my habits and routines based on device usage. Some of the better hacks were:
- Only checking e-mail twice per day on iPad
- Leaving my phone in another room, when I was doing deep work
- Setting boundaries to prevent mindless usage
Not only did it help me to keep me more sane, but I was doing more work in a shorter period.
Close
Breaking my iPhone (again) was eye-opening. Removing optional technologies or distractions brought something I thought I would never feel again.
Hardware and tech became purposeful again.
Eliminating digital clutter shows that I don’t have to be the product anymore, and prevents me from unnecessary addictions.
Tools and tech should enhance my life, but it shouldn’t control yours. It’s never about rejecting all tech, but about finding a balance that works for you and being more selective about technology use.
Try it one day, you’ll feel liberated.