Reduce Smartphone Addiction with These Useful Tools

I finally downgraded from an iPhone X to a Nokia 225, and it’s been totally worth it. Now I have regained much time, and freedom and am a true digital minimalist..

This is the latest in a series of attempts to implement a more digital minimalist lifestyle in my day to day life. The process has been slow, yet significant. I feel life is becoming more productive, more present and more intentional.

Whilst this is probably the most significant change I’ve made on my journey as a digital minimalist, it didn’t start there.

My journey into digital minimalism started with a single change. It started with reintroducing the devices that used to exist before smart phones seemed to take over the world.

In this post, will share five digital replacements that helped me transition to a more digital minimalistic lifestyle, and in turn reduced my reliance on smart devices for a happier, more present, and pleasant life.

Casio F-91w Digital Watch

One of the initial things I did as a digital minimalist was replace the clock on my iPhone, with a clock on my wrist.

To a phone addict, checking the time on a smart device is like an ex smoker having ‘just one puff’ whilst out at the pub. It’s a dangerous game. If you want to reduce your smart phone consumption, a digital watch can be an inexpensive solution.

I’ve owned a Casino F-91 for a good few years now and it’s a timeless classic. These watches have an alarm function, date and stopwatch. The small profile make them perfect for trade work, but more importantly these watches tell the time, and tell it well.

Moleskin Pocket Cahiers Notebooks

You know all those apps we use to record data like calorie tracking, gym workouts, notes and ideas and such? The pocket Cahiers notebooks by Moleskin are a perfect replacement for any data tracking app. You can leave them close by when inspiration strikes or put them in a back pocket when out.

I’ve used these pocket notebooks for years to track my gym workouts and as a result my sessions are more efficient. They can even be used instead of myFitnessPal for tracking macros in the kitchen. These notebooks also make a great bullet journal, a replacement for your tasks app.

If you are one of those ‘I have an app for that’ type of people, think about ways to replace those apps, with one of these notebooks.

Uni-ball UB-157 Pen

You can’t write in a fancy notebook without a fancy pen and the uni-ball UB-157 does just the job. I have a set of these pens in blue, black and red and so far the ink flow has been excellent and bleed through minimal. In saying that, can anyone suggest anything better?

Casio TQ140-1D Alarm Clock

Why use a smart phone when this simple and functional alarm clock from Casio can do the job.

Replacing my smart phone alarm with this one by Casio has reduced my usage and made my mornings more productive.

We all been there. Our smart phone alarm goes off gently pulling us out of our slumber. We pick up our phone to turn off the alarm, only to be greeted by notifications we MUST check. We soon realise 30 minutes have passed, we haven’t done a thing and we’re going to be late for work. No longer is my smart phone the first thing I pick up when I wake up. My mornings thank me for it.

Buy this alarm clock, and reclaim your mornings.

Nokia 225 Feature Phone

If you want to take digital minimalism to the next level, I can recommend the Nokia 225 as a smart phone replacement.

These devices are cheap, 4g and can perform most essential tasks that a phone ever should. Since owning one, my smart phone usage has decreased significantly. I no longer feel this sense of creeping anxiety should I not have my smart phone on me. People can get in touch should they need. I’m no longer checking apps out of boredom and therefore much more productive for it. The Nokia 225 features an FM radio, camera, music player, calculator, voice recorder and a barely usable browser which I have yet to use. If you want to move to a feature phone but not ready to shell out for the much pricier yet polished Light Phone, the Nokia 225 is a solid option.

I use these tools to reduce the reliance on current technology and bring me back to the present. To make me more engaged and aware of my time. On the journey to becoming a digital minimalist, one simple change can make a world of difference.

This is not an exhaustive list. I will be updating this post with more replacements for smart phone usage.

What tools have you used to replace your reliance on a smart device? How has it impacted your life? Let me know in the comments below.