My new innovation is, get this! Listening to the radio. I feel that listening to podcasts or youtube on the phone or computer are too fiddly - they constantly need changing, or skipping ads, or some sort of interaction. It feels hectic and demanding, all these little micro-decisions about what song or podcast to play next.
I got a Panasonic RF-2400D, from Ebay, for $20 US. The sound quality is great and my two-year-old and I are enjoying it. It is nice and simple, I like to listen to NPR news occasionally, plus there's All Classical, and a lovely small local oldies station.
Listening to the news feels like a nice way to stay informed. If anything bonkers happens, I'll know about it, and I can just listen while I'm making breakfast for my kid, and turn it off when I get distracted back to my real life.
I use my iPod from 2002, a Kindle from 2012, my Casio watch, paper planners and fountain pens, and now this Panasonic radio. I am even going to try a simple pedometer (marketed to seniors - ha!) to track my steps. It is more stuff, but none of it is expensive, especially used from Ebay, so that helps me justify it.
I know it may not be as efficient or minimalist as using a phone for everything, but I love using retro tech and analog, single use gadgets. It feels better to my brain.
I have been doing a couple of weeks now of my focus challenge. It's really just an improvement in my routine, rather than a hard challenge.
I have not held exactly to the rules of my experiment. I have looked at Reddit, but not logged in, and only for very specific reasons for short lengths of time, like finding information about fountain pen nib compatibility. I am honestly fine with this. Search results often don't tell me what I'm looking for, because I tend to look for very specific, niche information, where individual user experiences are more helpful than generalized, bland search results.
Crucially, I am not posting on any social media, except for my local moms group. I hate the feeling of posting something, and then having attention stuck on that post, so that I want to look back at how people responded. It's an attention-seeking mechanism that is a waste of my energy and it feels bad to me. If I want to say something, I should journal or write a blog post or tell a friend.
I bumped up the time I can use Facebook and Mastodon combined to 40 minutes per week. That seems okay. I don't browse, I just check my facebook moms group, and get off, and do a quick scan of Mastodon. I use the "search" tool on facebook and just see if there are any new posts on my recently searched people, which works well. Having the feed blocked on Facebook is mandatory, because they serve up such absolute toxic trash in the home feed, no one needs that.
Beyond that, I am finding small ways to slow down and be more present. I am paying attention to where my mind goes and how quickly it bounces from topic to topic. I try not to hop to the computer for every stray thought I want to learn about, and every thing that I might need to buy. I try to write those things in my to do list notebook.
Knitting helps! It is soothing and grounding. So that's always good. I'm working on a new blue blanket for my toddler.
I am trying to improve my habits around focus, distraction, and computer use. There is a lot of chaos in my daily life, with dogs, cats and small children, and I want to feel more present and able to keep my own focus and a calm mind.
I don't use my phone that much. I average 30-minutes to an hour per day on my phone, and I consider most of that use to be valid. I use texting, signal, phone and maps, primarily. I listen to podcasts, but usually use an old iPhone 5C as a dedicated podcast machine, so it doesn't come with the same potential for distraction that my phone does, and it's easier to fit in a pocket because it's tiny.
I use the Fossify Launcher or Ion Launcher on my phone (from F-Droid), which has a great feature that lets you hide icons from the app list. I have hidden a lot of icons for apps that I don't want to use habitually, but every once in a while has a valid use, like email and browsers. I don't see them, and if I need to use them, I have to go through an extra step to make them available. It helps.
My worst habits are on the computer. It's easy for me to get to clicking around on Reddit and news web sites, and to check web sites as a reflex when I feel bored.
I think the attraction of dumb phones, and deleting social media altogether, is that it isn't sitting there in the background, waiting for you all the time. Having a sense of needing to constantly resist, with effort, a bad habit feels hard. I don't want to "resist," web browsers and social media, I just want to not have it as an option that feels attractive at all. I felt that decades ago when I went vegetarian. I disliked the conflict of wanting to eat less meat, but feeling like I had to make the decision all the time. When I just said "I'm vegetarian," it was no longer a question for me and for people around me. Much simpler.
I deleted Instagram last year, and I haven't missed it. I appreciate that it isn't there in the background, giving me something to wonder about.
There is not a built in screen time app on Linux so I am using Activity Tracker to track my time. I have been gradually categorizing my activities to they can make a nice little color coded chart of my activity with my least favorite color (pink) representing the worst activity (social media) and the best colors (green and orange) representing the most noble activities (writing and study).
I listened to a Cal Newport interview with TK Coleman the other day, and they inspired me to take a more drastic approach to reducing distraction time. TK was talking about taking about 8 months off social media, as an experiment, and how positive it felt. So that's what I want to do too. I plan to run this experiment to the end of the year 2026.
Here are the rules of my digital focus experiment:
No Reddit use, at all. I set my web browsers with Leechblock to block reddit, and added a setting to Duck Duck Go, so it won't list reddit as a search result. (You can do this by clicking the three dots next to any search result in duck duck go.)
20 minutes of Facebook per week. This is so that I can check in with a local moms group to see if there are any events I want to take part in.
(Written the evening of the murder of Alex Pretti by federal officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota.)
My goodness, I don't know what to say. What I see from our country is unreal right now. I check the news each day to see what insane thing the Trump administration is doing now, and what horrors ICE is unleashing today. I wonder what kind of country I am bringing up my kids in, and what we will be faced with in years to come, and if our democracy will survive these times.
I am horrified, angry and so sad at the needless pain and death being inflicted on innocent people. I know ICE is operating in my area too, and I wonder each time I go out if I will see some showdown or people being hurt. I live in a liberal city in a blue state, heavy handed federal crack-downs could easily happen here.
Many days I am optimistic, believing that we are at a turning point, that the actions of the Trump administration are not what most Americans want, and that we will be spurred in a better direction as a response. But days like today it feels hard.
At the end of the year, I am thinking about what to focus on for 2026, as is traditional. I am not doing anything dramatic or strenuous, as I am immersed in parenting. My first kiddo is now two, and I just had our second baby in early December. So I am trying to reset my body and mind and look forward, amidst the relentless chaos, cuteness and unpredictability that is life with small children.
This is not particularly innovative or new, but it is feeling workable. At this point in my life, I need things to be simple, work well and not require fiddling.
In summary - What is working:
Linux Mint
I have become a lazy Linux user. I use Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop. I don't do much fiddling or any distro hopping these days, I just use it, and I am quite content. 2026 marks 14 years or so of playing with Linux and 10 years of using Linux full time. No plans to ever go back to Windows or Mac! I enjoy the Linux user experience and the open source philosophy. Whenever I have used Windows or Mac here and there, I have been horrified at the clutter, complexity and requests for accounts and whatnot, so I don't think I'm missing anything!
My husband is even sufficiently annoyed with Windows that he intends to install Linux when he next rebuilds his computer, and see how far he gets without needing Windows for gaming. We'll see, but that would be cool.
Kindle E-reader with Calibre
These days I am using an old Kindle Keyboard 3rd generation that was quite affordable from Ebay. I prefer the older models because I like having physical buttons and don't like a touch screen on my e-reader - it's too easy to touch the screen in the wrong spot and lose my place. I manage my ebook library with Calibre, and transfer books onto the Kindle by plugging it into my computer. I don't use the Kindle/Amazon ecosystem, I keep it in airplane mode, and never connect to wifi or Amazon's servers. It works great.
Supernote Tablet
I love e-ink. I use the Supernote for writing blog posts, primarily, using the handwriting conversion tool to write plaintext or markdown. (I sure will be happy when they add native markdown support). I have sideloaded the Amaze file browser, and the SimpleMarkdown app. It uses Dropbox to sync, which is not my favorite, but it works, and I like to keep things easy and functional. I also use it to read some RSS feeds using the Feeder app. All the non-native apps I use are from F-Droid.
I appreciate the Supernote company, which is pretty responsive on Reddit, and transparent about their software plans. That is a primary reason I got a Supernote rather than another of the e-ink tablets out there.
One Plus Nord N30 Phone
After my Pixel 3A bit the dust, I got this cheap phone. My eyes are sensitive and the LCD screen is much easier on the eyes for me than the more common OLED screen. Privacy is questionable, because its a Google/Android device, and made by a Chinese company, but I use it as little as possible, and have NetGuard installed, which lets me block cell and wifi access for apps as I choose. I'd love a better option in the future.
Digital Journal
I keep a digital journal using Zim-wiki with the journaling plug-in. Sometimes I prefer to type my thoughts and sometimes I hand write my journal, so I just have journals in two places, and don't worry about them being cohesive or structured. I use my Alphasmart Neo pretty often, and then dump that journal entry into Zim.
Analog Tools
Travelers Notebook with Sterling Ink Common Planner
I have been using a physical book planner for years now, and only get more committed to it. Digital tools are nice, but my brain does much better with the distraction-free, calming experience of real paper and pen. I have gone through all the gyrations about which planner to use, and this year I am settled nicely into a Travelers Notebook with the Sterling Ink Common Planner. It's big enough to have writing space, but small enough that it fits in a bag to take when I go out.
I made some of my own notebook inserts with Tomoe River paper, and use those for daily notes and plans, and have another small insert that is for to do lists. I started using this system last year and it works well for me.
Fountain Pens
I love fountain pens. I currently use Kaweco Perkeos and Pilot Kakunos in my planners and journals. They write quite nicely and they are cheap, so if my toddler smashes a nib, it will be easy to replace.
My Thinking Book
I have a second Travelers Notebook that is my "thinking book." It includes an insert for random brain dumps and problems that I want to sort out. It helps to be able to scribble down options, theories, things to try, etc, on whatever topics I have on my mind. I don't have a structure to it, just go to the next page. If I come up with an idea I want to be able to refer back to easily, I have to copy those notes elsewhere, this is just a scribbly brainstorming book. I also have an insert for blogging and creative writing ideas, and one that is a mini, portable journal.
Journal in a Notebook
I keep a physical journal in a B5 notebook with nice paper (currently using an Oddysey notebook, but Apica is my favorite). I use a Kokuyo Systemic notebook cover, just to make it nice.
I am always trying to create boundaries and guardrails to keep myself feeling more present and less distracted. It may be different for each person, and that's great. These are things I am doing that I think help me to feel more focused.
Do Not Disturb mode with Favorite contacts:
This is amazing. Calls and texts only come through from my "favorite" contacts. This is on an Android phone, but I believe you can do the same with iPhone. Everything else is silent. If I am expecting a call from someone not in my contacts, I just turn off this mode for a while. But knowing that most of the time, if the phone rings it's someone I actually want to talk to, is beautiful.
Data and Time Usage Trackers:
I added a widget to the home screen of my phone that shows the amount of time spent on the phone for the day. In my case it's the built in Android "Digital Wellbeing" settings app.
I also installed an app called Data Monitor and have a widget that shows the amount of mobile data I have used today. We have a minimal data plan, 1 GB shared between myself and my husband, and we don't have the wifi on all the time in our house, so it takes a concerted effort to minimize data usage. Those things are an inconvenience, but I actually like it, because it puts resistance on looking things up on the phone. It is remarkable how much data one little google search burns up. I think that just increasing the friction in usage can go a long way in improving habits. It's not that I want to google stuff all the time, but it's just so darn easy and available, which isn't always ideal.
Using a Separate iPod:
This may sound silly, but I use a separate device for podcasts. It is an old iPhone 5C with no SIM card. It is tiny enough to fit in a pocket, it works great even though it's got out of date software. All I use it for is podcasts, so I don't feel the burden of any distractions from my phone, it won't ring, it won't do anything except for play podcasts downloaded via wifi. It is a small detail, but the quiet provided by being able to listen to a podcast while still feeling distraction-free, is a helpful thing. I am doing my best to not use my phone, except when really necessary. I don't want my kid to see me on the phone all the time, and that's not how I want to live my life.
Using a Digital Camera:
Admittedly, I am not consistent about this, but I think it is a worthy goal. The mental calm that comes with a device that doesn't tempt you to check stuff is small, but cumulative, and I think it matters. I would prefer to use a digital camera than my phone, but am still building the habit of having it on hand for when I need to grab a picture when my kid is being cute. I should improve my storage, so it's handy to grab when I want it.
Streamlining Digital Habits:
Ruthlessly evaluate what each service provides and if it is a positive influence or something we can replace with a better option.
I deleted my Instagram account, so my only social media accounts are Facebook, Reddit and Mastodon. Facebook serves a purpose in my local buy nothing group. I would like to replace Reddit, but it is a handy source of suggestions and has a nice pregnancy and mom group. Honestly Mastodon is much more ethically decent than other social media, but it is questionable in its value to me at this point, so I may let it go one of these days.
Use a feed blocking extension for any social media. I like News Feed Eradicator. It replaces the main social media feed with a random quote, which is awesome, because the Facebook feed is a terrible hellscape of suggested posts and ads.
Obviously, I don't have social media apps on my phone. I turned off notifications to everything that isn't critical. Et cetera. All the standard advice.
It is an ongoing process, gradually recognizing what is not necessary and clearing it out.
More Inspiration:
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. Plus I enjoy his podcast - he's got good advice and inspiration and I am amused by how dry and snarky he can be.
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
Ten Arguments for Deleting your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier
Due to a tragic accident, my old Google Pixel 3A is now pushing up the daisies. A new phone was not on my plan for this week, but I had the old one for five or so years, and had bought it used, so needing a replacement isn't a huge huge loss.
So yesterday I got on eBay, as is my usual method, and ordered a Pixel 8A, which will be here in a few days. I always try to get the smallest phone possible. The 8A is still too big, but it's what they had.
In the meantime I pulled out my very old iPhone 5C, which will text but not call for some reason. And of course I can't install any apps on it, because it's so old, so I am stuck with the basics. I actually love the tiny size, and it works well, (aside from not making calls).
It was in the news recently that Firefox has done away with the read later service Pocket. I actually liked Pocket, I thought it was half of a really nice idea. But they didn't have the missing half, for my purposes, which was RSS. I have a goal of a smooth, offline RSS eink reader. Pocket was lovely because it would sync with the Kobo reader. If it had RSS and the ability to save articles, and could export them to Kobo, I would have been obsessed. Maybe someone will implement that one day.
An easy Way to save longer online articles to Epub, the way Pocket does, would be a nice feature. Currently, the best I know is a browser extension like Dot Epub, which exports a web page to an epub file which can then be added to calibre and an ereader.
