Can I tell you something embarrassing? Last week I found myself standing in my kitchen, mindlessly swiping through my phone, with absolutely no memory of why I'd picked it up in the first place.
I'm guessing this has happened to you too.
I've been learning from Shawn Lemon, founder of The Digital Organizer, and he confirmed something I've suspected: we're drowning in digital stuff, and it's not because we're doing it wrong. It's because our apps are literally designed to keep us checking compulsively.
And listen, you don't need to abandon your phone on a mountaintop to get your digital life back. You just need a better strategy.
1. Identify your compulsive checking triggers
A digital detox isn't about eliminating all technology. It's about eliminating the things you compulsively check.
Think about it: what apps do you open without even realizing you've picked up your phone? For most of us, it's email, social media, news apps, or YouTube. Those are creating little chemical reactions in your brain that make you crave the next update.
Your first job? Figure out what YOU can't stop checking. Those are your targets.
2. Delete apps (not hide them, delete them)
I know this sounds extreme, but hear me out. If you've tried setting app limits and you keep ignoring them, the problem isn't your willpower. The solution is just to delete the app.
"But what if I need it?"
If you haven't opened it in a year, you don't need it living on your phone. And for things like restaurant rewards apps that you use occasionally? You can search for them when you need them. They don't need to be waving at you from your home screen.
Here's a game-changer Shawn shared: keep only your most-used utilities on your home screen. Remove everything else so it's just in your searchable app list. That way you're not seeing Instagram beckoning every time you pick up your phone to use the calculator. đ±
3. Eliminate ALL notifications
No push notifications. No sounds. No banners. Nothing.
You can absolutely set up your phone to alert you for actual emergencies (like when your kid's school calls, which happened to me literally on Monday). But everything else? It can wait.
We've trained ourselves to believe everything is urgent. But the truth? Most things aren't. And the constant pinging is stealing your attention from what actually matters.
4. Consider starting completely fresh
If your digital overwhelm feels insurmountable, you might need what Shawn calls "the nuclear option." Erase your phone and start over.
I know that sounds terrifying. But think about it: our phones now automatically transfer everything from our old device to our new one. It's like moving houses but bringing all your clutter with you. Sometimes you just need a fresh start.
If that feels too intense, start small. Delete one app that you compulsively check. Wait a couple weeks. See how it feels. Then maybe remove another. Progress over perfection.
5. Wait longer than you think before reintroducing anything
You need to wait way longer than you think before you can safely bring something back.
If you delete an app and then add it back only to find yourself manic-swiping again, it's time to accept that app needs to stay gone.
The urge to check will pass. It just takes time. Give yourself that grace period.
Ready to reclaim your attention?
Look, I'm not writing this from some perfect place of digital zen. I'm writing this because I need these reminders just as much as you do. My screen time stats are... well, let's just say I've got work to do. đ
This isn't about being perfect. It's about reclaiming your attention from things that are stealing it without your permission.
So here's my challenge to you (and to me): pick one thing from this list. Delete one app. Turn off one type of notification. Move your home screen apps to a searchable list. Just do one thing this week.
Because you deserve to be present in your actual life, not just the digital version of it.
- Our Hot Pink Flash Sale Starts Tomorrow!
Black Friday sounds great until you remember that's the week you're coordinating Thanksgiving, managing guests, prepping the house, and wrangling kids who are home from school. The math doesn't math!
That's why we're doing our Hot Pink Flash Sale starting tomorrow, before the holiday chaos hits. For just $35, you can grab my Planning for Uncertainty Masterclass (live on December 8th, plus replay access) AND get a FREE TOP Planner ($79 value). Watch your inbox tomorrow for all the details! - Plan-a-Palooza On-Demand - Create Your 2026 Roadmap
Plan-a-Palooza on-demand access is available now, so you can create your realistic 2026 roadmap whenever works for you. This self-paced workshop walks you through gathering all the information needed for an annual plan that works with real life, then helps you build your Annual One Pager and Year at a Glance tools.
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The One Calendar Rule That Changed Everything for Me
How many places do you check before saying yes to a meeting? If the answer is more than one, we need to talk. That constant toggling between calendars is creating unnecessary mental load, leaving you vulnerable to double bookings, and there's a better way that takes about 30 seconds to set up.
In this video, I'm sharing the one thing that changes everything when you're managing work and personal calendars, how to protect your personal appointments from work visibility, and why most people are setting themselves up for calendar chaos. You'll learn the simple approach that saves hours of decision fatigue and eliminates double booking once and for all.
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How to Handle All the Household Admin Without Burning Out During the Week
The forms, the paperwork, the bill pays, the personal emails, the thing you need to scan, the order you need to place. This stuff trickles in all day long, every day, and trying to stay on top of it daily creates constant context switching that leaves you burnt out by the weekend, even when your calendar doesn't look overscheduled.
In this week's Weekly Buzz, I'm sharing how I handle my household COO time now by letting everything pile up all week long and batching it into one weekend chunk, why this approach eliminates the noise during my work week, and how making this invisible load visible has actually led to more help from my family. You'll learn the two big reasons this strategy works and why bringing awareness to how much time this takes is a game-changer.
Remember, this video is updated every Wednesday, so donât miss it! Head to The Pink Bee app to watch now.
Friend, donât forgetâjust 15 minutes of planning today can set the tone for your entire week. Youâve got the tools, youâve got the tips, and now itâs time to take action. Letâs crush this week together!
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