Digital Minimalism: A Case for Seeking Out Solitude

If you’re anything like me, the term “digital minimalism” immediately made you think about your too-full inbox, your bulging folders of uncategorised photos and the horrifying mess that is your iTunes account or computer desktop.

Digital clutter is real and it needs to be dealt with, but digital minimalism actually speaks to a more concerning issue than the years-old emails you’ve been hoarding for no good reason. (I see you.)

It’s Time to Declutter Your Mind

You’re busy. As in, really busy. All the time. More than anything, you crave a little solitude to quiet your mind and stop you from going stir crazy. That’s fine, but how on earth do you find the time?

Between work deadlines, family obligations and chores at home, eking out an hour for yourself is a Herculean effort. Days can go by without so much as five minutes of peace and quiet.

Even if you’re retired, making time for yourself can be a real challenge. We live in an age of second careers and third acts, there’s simply no space left to hang out on the porch with a glass of chardonnay and a juicy novel.

Why is Solitude So Elusive?

Most people dream of escaping the mayhem of everyday life. A little cabin by the lake sounds downright idyllic, doesn’t it? It absolutely is, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t aim for that at some point.

But right now, you can’t afford to up and leave. You’ve got responsibilities (work, volunteering, family, etc.) and they’re not going to take care of themselves. For now, that weekend getaway will have to remain on your bucket list.

All is not lost, though. I have a simple solution to your problem. It’s not that difficult to master, and once you do, you’ll find yourself inundated with micro-moments of solitude. Sounds good, right?

Freedom from the Input of Other Minds

In their book, Lead Yourself First, co-authors Raymond M. Kethledge and Michael S. Erwin, unpack the importance of solitude from a leader’s perspective. It makes sense. Without sufficient solitude to “do the work” — as Steven Pressfield puts it — a leader’s ability to lead is compromised.

Interestingly, their definition of solitude isn’t what you’d expect. Rather than suggesting you hide out in the woods, Thoreau-style, the authors claim solitude is simply freedom from the input of other minds.

Solitude is crucial for all of us, not just leaders. In our “always on” world, we’re constantly receiving input from other minds. We listen to podcasts, scroll through social media, watch Netflix and television and YouTube, read the news online, the list goes on.

Input from other minds is the norm nowadays, leaving no time for solitude, no time for our own thoughts, no time to ponder and assimilate the information we’re taking in. Cluttering up our mind like this comes at a price though.

Things like clarity, creativity, emotional balance and moral courage wane without solitude. You’ve likely noticed this in your own life. Perhaps you’ve been feeling more anxious than usual. Maybe your creative output isn’t what is used to be. It could be you’re not as patient as you usually are.

Finding Solitude in Everyday Life

Humans aren’t wired for constant input. No living being is. So, where can you find time for solitude when your daily schedule is packed tighter than a can of plump sardines? It’s simpler than you might imagine.

The advent of first the iPod and then the iPhone has made it incredibly easy for us to distract ourselves when we’re alone. We’ve become experts at filling moments of potential solitude with input from other minds.

The next time you find yourself alone, resist the urge to plug into a device. Instead of listening to yet another podcast or watching yet another YouTube clip or reading yet another article online, just be in the moment.

Following are some of the places we humans are inclined to clutter our mind with unnecessary information. Places where we can (and should) indulge in solitude. They’re so mundane you probably wouldn’t recognize them as opportunities for solitude, but they absolutely are.

on your work commutewaiting in lineat the doctor’s officemaking dinnereating lunchdrinking coffeeexercisingin the elevatorgetting your hair donein the bath or shower

Anytime you find yourself engaged in some routine task, whether it’s sitting at the hairdresser, doing your grocery shopping or waiting in line at the post office, embrace it as an opportunity to declutter your thoughts.

Leave your smartphone in your pocket or handbag, don’t immediately pick up a magazine, forget about the podcast you downloaded. We’ve been conditioned to believe we must fill every minute with something productive, but it’s not as beneficial as we’d like to believe.

If you listen to a podcast on your way to the office, then spend your commute home in silence. It might not seem like much, but these micro-moments of solitude add up over time. Little by little, you’ll find yourself becoming calmer and more relaxed.

When you do finally get to go on that weekend getaway, you’ll be able to appreciate the experience more fully. You may even find you that you’re quite comfortable to disconnect completely.

[Watch] Digital Minimalism with Cal Newport & Rich Roll

Running just shy of two hours, this interview is way longer than our modern day attention span can cope with. Watch it anyway. Despite having chatted to well over four hundred people on his podcast, Rich Roll rates this episode among his most consequential.

If you’re at all worried about the amount of time you spend in the digital space and the effect that is having on you, this talk with Cal Newport is well worth the time spent. In it, he unpacks exactly why we’re so addicted to our devices.

It’s fascinating and more than a little concerning. Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom. Newport also provides a bunch of action steps to help you free up precious time, declutter your mind and connect more deeply to the things that matter most. It’s like a roadmap back to solitude.

Angela Horn is a Cape Town-based freelance writer, minimalist lifestyle blogger and backslidden java junkie. She pens her missives on her blog Mostly Mindful and has been known to give the odd TEDx talk.

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The post Digital Minimalism: A Case for Seeking Out Solitude appeared first on Declutter Your Life with Donna Smallin Kuper.