How to Simplify Your Phone Screen
Today I want to chat about how to declutter your phone screen. I always try to bring things back to my core philosophy of simplifying your life and a big part of that is managing digital clutter. We use our phones everyday for work and entertainment, and as you’d expect our devices end up being one of the most cluttered areas of our life. Just as I like to keep the surfaces in my home minimal, intentional, and clutter free, I like to apply the same approach to my phone. I’ve found that by being very intentional about the apps and notifications I have on my phone, it has helped me boost my productivity, find more focus, and overall spend less mindless time on my phone. Sooooo, I’m going to break down my phone organization strategy for ya! Let’s do this. Feel free to watch it fully on YouTube or read the “cliff notes” below!
1. Purge
This one is obvious, but we have to start here. Purge any unused apps, and delete or disable apps that are not essential. Marie Kondo that shit. If you find you’re constantly distracted by a certain app (for example: Facebook or messenger), consider deleting it and only using it on your desktop.
2. Categorize
Take stock of what you have on your phone that you consider essential and categorize these apps in a way that makes sense for you - whether that’s categorizing apps for work, productivity, and wellness, photo editing, etc. I think of my phone folders almost like the bins in my pantry - I keep like-minded things together.
When you download a new app, I recommend leaving it uncategorized for a week or two instead of immediately filing it away. This way, if you find you’re not using it you can delete it and you don’t end up with a bunch of unused apps on your phone! If you do find yourself using the app, grant it permission to be categorized appropriately.
3. Rearrange
I love a simple home screen and for me personally, I find that opening my phone and immediately seeing a cluttered screen can feel overwhelming. I’ve found that keeping it at 1 or 2 rows is ideal for me to minimize visual clutter when I open my phone. I put my most used apps upfront (usually it’s work + productivity-related) and that makes it easy to access and instinctive to know where they are. The next screen is where other categories + uncategorized apps live (until I know I’m going to actually use them and file them away.
4. Beautify
Now that you’ve cleaned up your screen, find a calming wallpaper that makes you happy when you open your phone. You can do a quick little search on Pinterest for free iPhone or android backgrounds. Or use one of your own photos, maybe something you captured in nature or a painting. I avoid using busy backgrounds that keep me from being able to see the time clearly or my apps.
5. Silence
Here is my ultimate tip for you and your phone: switch OFF the ‘allow notifications’ button in your settings page. This especially includes email and social media. Notifications are so distracting, it is the thief of focus, and it can completely run your day if you let it. It causes you to react instead of intentionally choosing when to open the app. When you turn off notifications, you’re setting a boundary. You’re saying, I’m in charge of my schedule and my actions… So, unless you’re my calendar reminding me I have a meeting in 10 minutes or my alarm company saying someone’s at my house… if you’re not that, then I do not need to be notified! I could talk about this topic forever, but you can check out some of the other ways I maximize my time as a creative entrepreneur here.
Lastly, I’ll just say if you’ve never lived a notification-free life with your phone, the transition might seem weird at first, but soon you’ll find it easier to get through your to-do list because you're more focused, and when you’re on walks or at dinners with friends you’ll find yourself more connected. I feel so empowered to bring my attention where it’s needed in the moment and not have it detract from the real life I’m experiencing. If I need to check on my email, I know exactly where to find it.
So, there you have it. Purge, Categorize, Rearrange, Beautify, and Silence. Tidying up your phone screen is an easy n’ actionable way to simplify your digital space. It allows you to open your apps and use them with more intention and purpose and this will hopefully help you with setting some boundaries with our technology.
