I didn’t plan to delete 147 apps from my phone. I wasn’t aiming for digital minimalism, or trying to go full monk-mode.
I just hit a breaking point.
One night, I opened Instagram, then Twitter, then YouTube, then TikTok—without even thinking. Thirty minutes passed. I had no idea what I’d just consumed. My brain felt noisy. My breath was shallow. My body? Tense.
I wasn’t living—I was just reacting.
So I did something I never thought I’d actually do:
I wiped my phone clean. Gone. All of it.
But I wasn’t trying to live in a tech cave—I just wanted to feel like myself again. So I slowly added back a few apps. One by one. I only kept the ones that helped me focus, breathe, and actually think.
These 6 made the cut—and they changed everything:
🌱 1. Forest – The App That Tricked My Brain Into Focus
It’s a game where you plant a tree. If you stay off your phone, it grows. If you pick it up, the tree dies. That’s it. But it worked like magic.
This silly little tree helped me break my scrolling addiction. I now use Forest every time I need to focus—and my brain actually thanks me for it.
🟢 Why it stayed: Because watching a tree grow is more satisfying than watching TikToks I forget in 3 seconds.
🧘♂️ 2. Insight Timer – Where My Nervous System Calms the Hell Down
I tried the big-name meditation apps. Most felt like sales funnels in yoga pants. But Insight Timer? It’s free, full of real teachers, and has something for whatever I’m feeling—anxious, tired, wired, or just overwhelmed.
Some days, I literally open it, close my eyes, and breathe like a human for the first time in hours.
🟢 Why it stayed: Because my mental health isn’t optional.
📓 3. Day One – My Safe Space in a Noisy World
Journaling saved me—more than once. And Day One made it feel like something I wanted to do, not a chore.
Some days it’s deep. Some days it’s just: “Today was hard. But I’m trying.”
And that’s enough.
🟢 Why it stayed: Because no app has helped me untangle my thoughts more than this one.
🧠4. Readwise – The App That Makes Me Actually Remember What I Read
I love reading. But five minutes after I finish a book, I forget 90% of it.
Readwise changed that. It surfaces my highlights every day—little quotes, insights, reminders I actually care about. It's like having a personal trainer for my mind.
🟢 Why it stayed: Because it made my brain sharper and my thoughts stickier.
📚 5. Pocket – Where I Save the Internet From Eating Me Alive
Instead of chasing clickbait or opening 14 tabs I never read, I just save everything to Pocket. Then I come back to it on my time.
No noise. No rush. Just intentional reading when my brain is ready.
🟢 Why it stayed: Because I want to consume less and understand more.
🧩 6. Notion – My Brain’s External Hard Drive
Notion isn’t just for productivity nerds. It became my sanctuary for thinking—goals, ideas, habits, even meal planning. When life feels chaotic, I open Notion and it’s like: “Hey. You’ve got this.”
🟢 Why it stayed: Because it gave structure to my chaos without suffocating me.
The Aftermath: Fewer Apps, More Life
Since deleting those 147 apps, here’s what changed:
I no longer wake up and immediately check five feeds.
I don’t feel like I’m drowning in notifications.
My attention span… came back.
I breathe deeper. I think clearer. I even sleep better.
This wasn’t about going off the grid. It was about reclaiming my headspace.
If your phone feels more like a stress machine than a tool—it’s not your fault. These apps are designed to hijack your brain. But you can take it back.
Start small. Delete one. Add one that helps. You don’t need 100 tools. Sometimes, just 6 that actually help you feel human again are more than enough.
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