Smartphone settings for more focus

Setting up your phone can be as liberating as tidying up your physical space. By simplifying your home screen, you make room for calm and focus. Think of minimalism as the key to less distraction. Strategically grouping your apps makes it easier to control which apps you use and when.

Useful tips for tidying up your screen and experiencing less visual stimuli:

  • Home screen: Leave this screen completely blank. No widgets, no icons. A blank home screen will make you less tempted to pick up your phone just like that.
  • First screen: Only the apps you need on a daily basis, such as calls, messages and your camera, deserve a place here. This keeps it simple and uncluttered.
  • Second screen: Put your productive apps like your calendar, email, and work tools here. This screen becomes your’ goals screen ' and ensures that you continue to work efficiently.
  • Third screen: This screen is for the apps that you use less often or that are addictive. Put them in hidden folders so you raise the threshold to open them just like that.
By following this strategy, you will create a visual environment that supports you instead of distracting you. Experiment with this format and find out what works best for you.

Turn your phone to grayscale for less temptation

Have you ever noticed how you are subconsciously drawn to bright colors? They are all around us, from the packaging of your favorite snacks to the icons on your smartphone. Red, yellow and other bright colors activate our reward system, making us react faster without thinking about it.

Your phone is no exception. The colorful icons and notifications can prompt you to open apps even if you don't want to. By putting your phone in shades of gray, you remove the visual temptation. The screen becomes less intrusive, and apps like social media lose some of their appeal.

This makes it easier to resist the temptation of endless scrolling.Give it a try: put your phone in black and white mode temporarily and notice how you are less likely to be tempted to just open your apps.​​​

For iPhone: Enable Grayscale

  1. Open the settings on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and select Accessibility.
  3. Click Display and text size.
  4. Select Color Filters.
  5. Turn on The Color Filters and choose the Grayscale option.
Your phone will now automatically appear in shades of gray, which reduces visual stimuli and weakens the temptation to open apps, such as social media.

For Android: Enable Grayscale

  1. Open the settings on your Android phone.
  2. Scroll to Accessibility (this may vary slightly depending on your phone brand and Android version).
  3. Select screen settings or visual settings.
  4. Look for Color Correction or monochrome and turn this feature on.
  5. Choose monochrome or shades of Gray as an option.

Your Android phone will now switch to a black and white display, making the colors on your screen less stimulating and less likely to tempt you into unnecessary app interactions.