“Diving into something new can be terrifying, or at least uncomfortable, but those feelings of discomfort are indicative of growth.”
—The Minimalists
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Why I Built A Minimalist Smartphone
The difficulties of trying to balance minimalism with using a smartphone
By Alex Davidson
About midway through last year, I started tracking my phone usage. I found out I was using my phone 20-30 hours per week. That didn’t seem healthy to me. I decided I would simply use my phone less. That made about zero difference to my weekly usage.
Next, I tried deliberately getting a phone plan with low data. This was an ill-conceived idea. After burning through my month’s data in about five days, I then had to purchase ‘top-ups’ at a more expensive rate.
I felt things were getting serious, so I deleted the Facebook and Reddit apps. The next day I just used the Chrome browser to access some of my most used social apps. Next, I set my phone display to grayscale. However, I ‘needed’ the colour to see the map properly, so I turned it back to color.
I decided I would delete the Chrome Browser (and the default browser too). I quickly discovered you cannot delete the system browser. You can only disable it, which hides it away. I’m sure you can guess what happened next. I ‘needed’ the browser for legitimate-sounding reason, so I ‘temporarily’ re-enabled it.
This was when the idea of a “boring” phone began to form. With the help of my friend Jasper, I ‘rooted’ a spare Android phone, which allowed me to actually delete the browser, Play Store, and other apps. I then put my sim card in it and my new minimalist smartphone was in hand.
At first, it seemed like the idea behind the phone hadn't had the desired effect. I still pulled my phone out at every available opportunity to check if there was something new on it.
However, after about two days, I found I was looking at my phone less and less. There was really nothing on it to check. I could talk to my girlfriend on the Signal app, but I would be alerted to that by the vibration. Apart from that, there was really no reason to check it.
Without all those seemingly interesting and exciting things, the urge to check my phone dissipated like fog in the morning sun. I felt calmer and less anxious and agitated. At home, I picked up my Kindle and for the first time in ages, spent solid chunks of time just reading books.
Like my attempt to ‘hide’ my apps from myself, I believe that technology enabled a certain type of aesthetic minimalism. The music collector no longer needs a house full of records but can still get sucked into endless hours obsessing over digital possessions. I can have a sparse and functional apartment and only three icons on my phone’s home screen—but that’s only an aesthetic if I have a cupboard stuffed with junk, or a full set of applications just a swipe away.
For me, the true benefits of digital minimalism became real when I found a way to actually give up the distracting elements.
A Journey of Minimalism
Why the pursuit of less is really the pursuit of more
By Remco Vermeulen
I remember it like it was yesterday; the first time I stumbled onto Minimalism. It was a lazy Saturday when I watched the Netflix documentary Minimalism twice. I was fascinated by the counterintuitive way of striving for a life of less. Less stuff, less consumerism, and less clutter. Since that day, minimalism has become so much more to me. In a way, it may even have become my pursuit of more.
I’ve always been someone who consumes consciously. More than that, I’ve always been someone who appreciates the emptiness of space and simplicity in architecture. Nevertheless, the documentary and the minimalist lifestyle inspired me to have a closer look at all of my possessions. Since then, I’ve gotten rid of a lot of stuff that didn’t really add much value to my life. From books I would never read again to ‘just in case’ clothing—I gave it all away.
And although that change brought some lightness into my life, I didn’t feel I was leading the minimalist life I wanted. That became utterly clear the moment I burned out from my job. Less stuff had made room for more people, more work, more social activities, and more busyness. Reaching that “burned out” moment in my life, I felt an intense need for freedom, physical space, and time to wander.
Last year, I took the leap. I left my job, my house, and my day-to-day life behind. I decided to travel light with only hand luggage on me, and with just the first day planned ahead. Travelling light made my life lighter in more ways than I could have imagined. It’s not just the comfort of less that adds value to your life, it’s all about the simplicity that comes with it when you reduce the number of decisions and increase the number of possibilities life gives you. Living for about half a year from just a small backpack made me realize that there isn’t much that you really need. And perhaps more importantly, there are only a few things that really matter.
Right now, I see that minimalism is about so much more than just possessions. It’s about seeing what is most important to you in all aspects of life. From there, you can start building your life around it. In this way, minimalism has brought me more joy, more freedom, and more fulfillment. Although it may be hard to pursue sometimes—especially in the corporate world where not everybody believes that ‘less is more’—stepping backward to reflect on this journey helps me ponder on what I truly value. And to me, that step toward more conscious living is what matters, and that is what minimalism is all about.
A Little More of Less
A few other articles we think you might enjoy…
Needing Stuff by Rebecca Rimmer Givens
The Courageous Self-Discipline Challenge by Leo Babauta
Waste Not, Want Not by Joshua Becker
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