The Fix, Part 2: How to Declutter Your Physical Environments
A successful digital declutter extends beyond your device settings and into the physical world. Your environment sends powerful cues to your brain about what behavior is expected. By intentionally designing your spaces, you can make healthy tech habits feel effortless and automatic. Here’s how to create environments that support focus and well-being.
Establish Sacred, Screen-Free Zones
Your brain is highly associative. If you constantly work from your bed, your brain will start to associate your bed with the stress of work, making it harder to fall asleep. The same principle applies to technology. To give your mind a chance to rest, you must create zones where screens are simply not allowed. The two most important are the dinner table and the bedroom.
The dinner table should be a place for conversation and mindful eating, not for scrolling through emails or social media. Make a family rule: no phones at the table. It might feel awkward at first, but it will lead to richer connections. The bedroom should be a sanctuary for sleep and intimacy. Bringing a phone, tablet, or laptop into bed with you is a recipe for poor sleep and a distracted mind. Designate a charging station in another room, like the kitchen or living room, and make plugging in your devices there a non-negotiable part of your evening routine.
Engineer a Sleep-Friendly Evening
The quality of your sleep is one of the biggest determinants of your focus and well-being, and screens are one of its biggest enemies. This is largely due to blue light, the high-energy visible light emitted by our devices. Exposure to blue light in the evening can suppress the production of melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it’s time to sleep. According to experts at the href=”https://www.sleepfoundation.org/”Sleep Foundation/a>, this can disrupt your circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep and reducing sleep quality.
To combat this, create an “electronic sundown.” Decide on a time—ideally 60-90 minutes before bed—when you will put all screens away. Use this time to engage in relaxing, analog activities. Read a physical book. Listen to calm music or a podcast. Do some light stretching. Talk with your partner. This buffer period allows your brain to unwind and your body to begin producing melatonin naturally. Many phones also have a “Night Shift” or “Eye Comfort Shield” feature that reduces blue light, which is a good second-best option if you must use your device closer to bedtime.
Create Cues for Deep Work
Just as you create cues for relaxation, you can create cues for focus. If you work from home, this is especially critical. Don’t just open your laptop on the couch. Designate a specific workspace, even if it’s just a corner of a room. When you are in that space, you are working. When you leave it, you are not.
You can enhance this with other sensory cues. Perhaps you light a specific candle or play a particular type of instrumental music only when it’s time for deep, focused work. Put your phone in another room or turn it on a strict “Work” focus mode. These rituals signal to your brain that it’s time to enter a state of concentration, free from the digital distractions that lead to tech hoarding behaviors. Over time, simply sitting down at your designated desk and starting your focus ritual will help you drop into a productive state more quickly and easily.
