In Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World, ($16; amazon.com) Newport makes the case for a thorough digital declutter, a task that requires reassessing our (often unhealthy) relationship with tech. As he defines it, digital minimalism is an “intentional approach to technology that involves a limited number of online activities.” You have to digitally declutter to get there—to become the kind of person who can step away from their phone without, say, worrying that everyone is sharing memes without you. “The process allows you to focus on a few online behaviors that return you a lot of value—while happily missing out on everything else,” Newport says. Armed with the desire to spend more time away from my glass-and-aluminum sidekick—and way less time scrolling Instagram—I gave digital decluttering a try. Here’s how you, too, can pull it off. RELATED: 30 Cool Gifts and Gadgets for the Tech-Obsessed Then, when you’re home, leave your device by the front door—treat it like ye olde home phone. (You remember, the thing with the curly cord or retractable antenna?) “If you’re worried about missing an important call, put the ringer on loud. If you want to look something up or check texts, do so in your foyer,” he says. Basically, you are never meant to curl up, cuddle up, or get comfortable with your phone (reserve those behaviors for human loved ones!). This simple method will help transform your relationship with technology at home. RELATED: How to Clean Out Your Phone
