The average person picks up their phone more than 100 times a day – and every pickup costs a few minutes of attention. Digital minimalism is not about giving up technology; it is a simple principle: you use technology when it serves you, not when it calls you. This guide collects the practical steps that members of the makerSP_CE coworking most often name as the biggest change in their workday.
Why notifications steal more than just seconds
Every notification breaks your train of thought. Even if you do not look at your phone, part of your brain switches to the question what was that. After an interruption it can take up to 15 minutes to return to full concentration – ten notifications in a morning therefore means there was no real focus that morning at all.
5 steps to digital minimalism
1. Turn off every notification, then switch only the essential ones back on
Do not decide which notifications to turn off – turn off all of them, then over the next few days switch back on only the ones you genuinely missed. For most people, calls and messages from close contacts are enough. Everything else can wait for your schedule.
2. Keep the phone out of sight
A phone on the desk lowers your cognitive capacity, even when it is face down. During work blocks it should be in a bag, a drawer, or another room. If you cannot see it, you will not reach for it.
3. Email at set hours, not all day
Open your inbox two or three times a day (for example at 11am and 4pm), and keep it closed in between. Anyone who expects a reply within five minutes can call – everyone else can wait a few hours without anything bad happening.
4. Clear the home screen and unsubscribe
Leave only tools on your first screen (calendar, maps, notes), and move social apps into a folder or remove them. At the same time, unsubscribe from newsletters you do not read – every unnecessary email is one less micro-decision.
5. One screen, one task
While writing, keep only the document open; during a meeting, only the meeting. Every extra tab is an open loop that pulls at your attention. Close whatever does not serve the current task. This principle is the core of deep work.
Digital minimalism is not disconnecting from the world
The goal is not to disappear, but to respond when you choose to. Clients and colleagues get used to your response schedule surprisingly quickly – especially if your replies at the agreed times are thorough and complete.
The environment helps: focus at makerSP_CE
At home and in a café you are surrounded by stimuli; in a coworking space you are surrounded by people who are working. At makerSP_CE the open space is kept deliberately quiet, calls happen in the call room, and it all comes for one fixed monthly price. An environment that works with you is the easiest form of discipline.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to delete social media?
No. It is enough to remove it from your home screen and turn off notifications. Use it deliberately, at a set time, not as an automatic reflex whenever you are waiting.
What if clients expect an instant reply?
Set clear expectations: „I answer messages by 11am and by 4pm; for urgent matters, please call.“ Most clients accept this with relief – they receive too many messages too.
How long does it take to adjust?
The first week is the hardest; you will reach for the phone out of habit. After two weeks most people report a noticeably calmer workday and about two more hours of work done per day.
Conclusion
Digital minimalism is about taking back control: notifications to a minimum, the phone out of reach, email on your own hours, a clean screen, and one task at a time. Five steps you can put in place in a single afternoon – and the effect shows up the very next day.
Book your spot at makerSP_CE
Coworking makerSP_CE, Pivovarniška ulica 6, Ljubljana (next to Tivoli Park). Fixed price, no notice period, 24/7 access and free parking.
Web: makerspace.si | Email: rezervacije@makerspace.si | Phone: +386 30 393 405