Back in 2007, when the first iPhone - a computer that fitted into the palm of our hands - was unveiled by Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, was the first sign of technology becoming all-consuming. Suddenly, we did not need to be sitting down at a computer to go online. We could just whip out our iPhone and check our social media, emails, go shopping and find the answer to almost any question that we could ever have. It was a complete revelation.

It has been a great thing, of course, in many ways. It has allowed us to stay in touch with friends and family all over the world, start, run and support businesses from wherever we are in the world and with the pandemic that has gripped the world in 2020 and 2021, has been a lifeline to many. However, as with everything, there is a downside.

A survey found that 24% of adults in the United kingdom check their phone within five minutes of waking up, and 78% use them in the hour before going to bed, potentially disrupting the all-important sleep process. That is not to mention all of the mindless scrolling that we do throughout the daytime. How are we supposed to be living a happy and fulfilling life when we spend our lives looking at a small screen. It can also be a little concerning in terms of our health - our eyes are strained, and there has been a rise in conditions such as repressive strain injury due to tapping and scrolling on phone screens. Many people are also worried about EMF (electromagnetic fields) and their impact on the body. A good quality EMF blocker can help to minimize this if it is something that you are worried about.

While it is virtually impossible to escape the digital world altogether - and nor should we want to as it is now a part of our life - it is possible to embrace digital minimalism. This means only using it for the bare essentials. Here, we take a look at some of the things that you can do to embrace digital minimalism. 

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Remove apps and programs from your computer desktop and cellphone

The chances are when you turn on your laptop or computer, your desktop will be full of apps and programs and software, and this clutter is almost instantly overwhelming. Delete them all from your desktop. If you need them, use the spotlight search tool to find them instead. 

The same goes for the apps on your cellphone. Delete all of the apps that you no longer use and if you do use them, consider using the desktop browser version, or hide them all in one folder off the main screen. When you want them, you can use the search option to find them to open.

Have a clear and clean wallpaper

It is all well and good having a lovely photo of your children/dog/beach/any other inspirational background on your cellphone or your computer desktop wallpaper, but it goes completely against minimalism. Keep the pictures to physical photo frames and have a plain, solid color background, preferably as neutral as possible.

Turn off the notifications

So many of us live by our notifications. When it flashes up that we have a new email or a new follower or whatever other notifications you get, we are often compelled to check it there and then. If you do not have notifications switched on, you can’t. Turn them all off, except perhaps for phone calls and text messages and perhaps calendar if you need that. The rest can wait for you to go into the app or program to look.

Turn on ‘do not disturb’.

It is important that your phone does not disturb you throughout the night or when you are trying to relax. Set a time - say 8 pm to 8 am, when only phone calls and messages from certain contacts are allowed through. Anything else can wait until the morning.

Clean out your contact list

There is a good chance that you have all sorts of phone numbers and email addresses stored that you no longer need. They are generally stored ‘in the cloud’, which means when you upgrade your phone they all come with you, and you never have a cull. Any that you no longer need, delete. 

It is important to bear in mind that digital minimalism isn't something you can do once and then forget about. It's all too simple to erase and tidy your digital life in one go, just to start collecting digital detritus again the next day. It is an ongoing process to simplify your mind and your life. 

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Life is suffering: that’s one of the most fundamental teachings of the buddha. And, in a way, you can see what he was getting at. If you want to progress at all in life, you usually have to do something that you don’t want to do. 

Think about it. There are all kinds of things that you do throughout the day that aren’t on your list of fun activities. Examples include: 

• Brushing your teeth

• Preparing food

• Going to work 

• Doing the chores

Marcus Aurelius went so far as to equate work with life, saying that the bumblebee doesn’t complain as it darts from flower to flower, and neither should we. 

But how do you push through pain long enough to actually achieve your goals? It’s not something you’re taught in school. So let’s take a look at some of the strategies that you can use. 

Don’t Give Up On The Dream

The vast majority of people don’t get to where they want to go in life because they give up on the dream. When they reach a certain age - maybe 30 - they start letting go of their youthful aspirations and embrace the cold, hard truth of the real world. 

However, what they don’t realize is that everyone else is doing that. And that’s why so many people never seem to progress to the place they want to get to. They think that being ambitious and going for gold is something people do in their youth when they are naive, not when they become fully-fledged adults. 

But when you actually talk to the people who did it, you never hear them saying that they scaled back their ambitions. They just kept grinding. And, eventually, after many years usually, they got to the top of the mountain. 

Take Time To Celebrate Minor Victories

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Achieving your life’s ambitions takes a lot of work, patience, and dedication. It’s not the sort of thing that just happens overnight. Again, for most people, it’s a long struggle that takes them many years. 

The trick here is to break it down into smaller chunks. It’s a bit like going on a long hike. You just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and you’ll eventually arrive at your destination. 

It’s critical that you celebrate your minor victories along the way. If your goal is to save $100,000, don’t be afraid to celebrate the $10,000 and $50,000 milestones. These small victories remind you that you’re still moving in the right direction. 

Pay Attention To Your Emotions

Many of us believe that we have to just grit our teeth and bear it to get to our goals, ignoring how we feel. But the people who are the most successful are able to channel their emotions into energy. They use their minds as tools to help them get to where they want to go by observing how they feel and responding to it empathetically. They never try to force anything. Instead, they allow their positive energies to flow into a renewed sense of power and optimism. 

Be Specific About Sacrifices

Success rarely comes without sacrifices. You always have to give something up that you want - at least in the short-term - to get something you would like in the long-run. 

Just look at the kind of hours that businesspeople dedicate to their enterprises. Many of them work seventy or eighty hour weeks, damaging their health, social life and relationships. But it’s a price that they are willing to pay to get the financial freedom that they want at the end of the rainbow. 

Other people make more extreme sacrifices. For instance, they might give up their careers for a family, or vice versa. 

Before setting out on any journey, it’s a good idea to clearly define what you need to give up (in the worst case scenario). That way, you better prepare yourself for whatever your new project throws at you. 

Find Methods To Make The Pain More Bearable

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Lastly, look for ways to make the pain more bearable so you can keep going once everyone else quits. 

Strategies include: 

• Doing daily meditations in the morning to calm the mind

• Getting sleep aids from a dispensary

• Committing to regular exercise

• Getting a mentor who can guide you through

Most of the world’s most successful people did it by changing their inner state. In many cases, they chose not to feel stress or take their enterprises too seriously. When they did this, they relaxed into their roles, preserving their energies and maximizing their chances of success. However, even the most relaxed captain needs a skilled crew. If you're looking for a calm and collected hand to guide your smile to new heights, consider scheduling an appointment with a dentist Greenville SC. They'll help you achieve optimal oral health without a hint of stress.