In an overwhelming digital world of emails, pings, and buzzes, it’s no wonder we experience the chaos that is our computers through an unfavorable lens, constantly yearning for downtime and silence. The feeling of closing our screens after a full day of work is something we look forward to, yet we must not forget the myriad of resources available to use on those same screens. The following article provides a list of ideas you can test out yourself to bring more serenity to your workspace.
- Guided meditations on Spotify
While most of us associate the platform with music, Spotify also boasts an array of ~10 minute guided meditations that you can do complete from your phone or laptop anywhere, anytime. My personal favorite is Meditation Mountain (this isn’t sponsored, though I wish it were.)
- Personalize your Google Account with a calming interface
It is easy to overlook simple personalization features as unnecessary, but when it comes to your work interface, it’s important to create a visual space that is emotionally appealing. I could go on and on about color psychology and the various emotions that emerge as a result of experiencing red versus blue, for example, but I’ll save you the details. Just bear in mind that you can always utilize these features to create a digital space that works best for you – I have mine set to a mountain scape.
- Utilize Focus Mode
If you’re an iPhone user, you’ll find that Apple offers multiple Do Not Disturb modes in the control center of your device. You can choose from Sleep, Work, Focus, and more, activating specific settings that meet your needs and discourage interruptions throughout your day and night.
- Declutter Your Digital Space
Just as is true for our physical space, having an organized and clutter-free digital space can bring calm to an otherwise chaotic area of our lives. If you have quite a lot going on in your digital world, this. may first look like removing unnecessary applications and files. If it’s just organization you’re lacking, you may consider creating a favorites/bookmark section that best meets your needs. On my mac, I have gmail, my student Canvas, Google Docs, etc pinned on my favorites tab. It’s just the basics of what I need, but I also include any ongoing project sites. It seems simple, but it saves me a few minutes everyday of searching for what I need multiple times. I also would recommend making use of the Google Keep integration in Google Calendar to keep digital sticky notes for yourself. There are other gcal integrations you may find useful too, including an automatic “make this a zoom meeting” button and automatically syncing to Calendly. While this varies largely on a person-to-person basis, I recommend heading over to the App Store or doing a quick Google Search to see what other tools exist that may be a use to you. Knowing that these extensions and integrations exist at all is a great starting place.
While these resources and ideas just being to scratch the surface of possible digital resources to cultivate calm in your life, I hope you’ll use this list as a launching pad upon which you can begin to build a digital space that works for you. Cheers to your journey toward serenity.
