5 digital habits every high performer should use to work better, faster, and more creatively

5 digital habits every high performer should use to work better, faster, and more creatively5 digital habits every high performer should use to work better, faster, and more creativelyTech has made ur lives easier in so many ways.We can buy clothes or groceries with the click of a button, navigate new cities easily, answer work emails from a Caribbean beach, and keep up with our friends and family all over the world.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreBut despite its myriad benefits, tech has also helped fuel our worst habits- procrastination, laziness, and overspending, just to personenname a few. Over the last few years, theres beena loud callfor re-evaluating our relation to our devices. For all the good our phones do, our grip on them can create a slew of problems- from the physical (likeeye straintocarpal tunnel) to emotional (likedepression and anxiety). The rise ofdigital det ox retreatsis compelling evidence that our need to disconnect periodically is ever-increasing.We depend on them for so much, yet we feel utterly unable to disconnect. We fear that if were bedrngnis online at all times, well miss something important.Its no wonder most of us have a love-hate relationship with our devices.That said, the genies out of the bottle. Were not going to be parted from our smartphones anytime soon, and the world isbecoming more digital by the day. As tech becomes an even bigger part of everyday living, we have to think of ways to work smarter with the tech we have, rather than let it dictate our lives.Here are some healthy tech habits to start cultivating now1. Turn offallthe notificationsYou know the drill. Youre in the middle of a productive work meeting or a great writing session, and your phone lights up with a notification that someone has added you as a friend on Facebook or that Netflix is suggesting a new show you might like. Your focus quickly shifts from the task at hand to your phone, and your productivity goes out the window.After their advent in 2008, push notifications proved to be a marketers dream Theyre nearly impossible to immediately distinguish from a text or email, so you have to look before you can dismiss them. In 2013, Apple proudly announced that7.4 trillion push notificationshad been pushed through its servers. Today, that number is almost certainly higher.But remember, these notifications are designed for selling things, not making our lives easier. In fact, the single easiest digital habit to help you get more done is to simply turn them off.Unfortunately, neither Android nor iOS offers an easy way to turn off all your notifications at once. In both cases, you have to into Settings, then turn them off app-by-app. Its a pain, but well worth your while. And make extra koranvers to turn off notifications on all the social apps, shopping apps, and from Netflix, Spotify, and Kindle- as these can beparticularly addi ctive.If youre worried youll miss something, know that turning off notifications doesnt shut you out from using your favorite apps. It just puts the control back in your hands so youre on your phone when you want to be. Apps like Instagram and Facebook are built to show you the best stuff every time you open the app- you wont miss much by ignoring notifications.And if not getting notifications means you forget to even open the app or check your phone for a while? Well, youre welcome.2. Set your phone to black and whiteTechnology is engineered to be addictive and hijack our attention.And when your phone is in color, everything looks that much more enticing. Silicon Valley insider and non-profit founder Tristan Harris likened the allure of your phone to that of aslot machine.If you find youre whiling away the hours scrolling through photos on Instagram, or clicking on just one more Buzzfeed listicle, try enabling grayscale on your phone. It might not cure your addiction completely, bu t the Internet is much less fun when its not rendered in vivid technicolor.Heres how to do it For Androids, the process differs per model, but its typically accessed via the Accessibility menu. In iOS 10, go to Settings General Accessibility anzeigegert Accommodations Color Filters. Switch Color Filters on and select Grayscale.When youre phones in black and white, youre less likely to spend mindless hours staring at your screen and can move through the digital world with intention.It may not seem like a major change, but it can make a big difference.3. Keep tech out of the bedroom as much as possible.Our bodies are wired to respond to natural light.But today, were bombarded with a constant stream of artificial light from our devices. This revs up the brains machinery, pumping hormones to keep us warm, alert, and anxious. We play on our phones in bed and wonder why our body has trouble shutting down.If you have trouble sleeping, keep in mind that all the blue light from laptops an d phones is keeping you awake at night. Research shows thatexposure to blue light suppresses the production of melatonin more than any other type of light.To feel and sleep better, try purging your tech at night.That means no devices after 800 p.m. This includes work emails. Technology addiction inhibits your brains ability to relax, so you need to find a new pre-sleep activity that doesnt involve your phone. Play some soothing music, read a book, journal, ormeditate.It takes a lot of discipline at first, but it sure beats being tired all the time.Your marriage will benefit too4. Reconsider social mediaIn recent years, Facebook has been scrutinized for a variety of privacy concerns- most famously the 2018 data scandal, when it was revealed that the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica had harvested the personal data of millions of peoples Facebook profiles without their consent.Shortly after, I deleted Facebook for ethical reasons. And Ive never been on Instagram. I know Im not the only one inclined to opt out of social media.Recent research reveals that 34% of Gen Z, or people born between the mid-1990s and early 2000s, say theyre permanentlyleaving social media, and 64% say theyre taking a break from it. Reasons included worries about time-wasting (41%), feeling it was too negative (35%), privacy concerns (22%), too much pressure (18%), too much commercialization (18%), and that it makes them feel bad about themselves (17%).As Gen Z is the rising generation, this study reveals the social media craze may be on its way out.People are realizing you dont have to be on Instagram or Facebook to connect with people- and in fact, these platforms may make you feel even more lonely and disconnected that you would without them.5. Find your quiet placeOne of the most effective ways to cultivate a healthy relationship with your tech is to have a digital detox.And the best way to do this is to find a special place where you can be free of distractions.For some, i ts their commute. For me, its a bike ride. Bike riding doesnt require as much concentration as many other sports, so you can really get in the zone and relax- I do my best thinking on the bike. Once youre 20 minutes or half an hour into a three- or four-hour ride, you have clarity. Youre also outdoors in the gorgeous scenery.Spending time outside has been shown to lead to significant health benefits. Studies have shown that walking in the woods canimprove blood pressure, boost mental health, and decrease cancer risk. Beyond that, youre less likely to think about your phone.In Blake SnowsLog Off How to Stay Connected after Disconnecting, the writer explains that his family spends two entire weeks- once in the spring and once in the fall- with no electronic devices. Although it feels a little scary at first, an electronics fast forces you to connect with others and with yourself, which is crucial to overall wellbeing.While tech is no doubt benefiting our lives in countless ways, we al l have to figure out where to draw the line in order to get the most from our devices rather than falling prey to them.This article first appeared on Quora.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people