In my experience, reducing (or increasing) friction and intentionally setting your environment are some of the most impactful levers in everyday life. This can be true in both the physical and digital worlds. Some examples I have used are below.

Physical

Food - This is where friction can be helpful in both ways. Keeping healthier options accessible and out in the open. Limiting unhealthier options by keeping them in cupboards and out of arms reach, or even better by not buying them at all.

Meal prep - This is something I would like to get better at doing. When this does happen, it reduces friction, minimizes decision fatigue, and results in healthier food choices.

Phone placement - I don't put my phone beside my bed to prevent me from mindlessly scrolling at night or in the morning.

Digital

Hotkeys - If your day job involves working on a computer, hotkeys can help reduce friction. I recently configured an AutoHotkey script to open the programs I use for writing blog articles. My hotkey (Ctrl+B) will open my blog repository in VS Code and my corresponding Trello board so that I can immediately begin writing.

Phone apps - I intentionally do not have social media apps installed on my phone. If I want to use Facebook, I need to open the browser and manually type the URL. This slight increase in friction prevents the habitual loop of 1. Grab phone, 2. Unlock, 3. Tap on (Endless Scroll App Here) that I have noticed myself and others so easily fall into.

Phone home screen - Along the same lines as phone apps, I have my home screen set up in a way that reduces distracting apps and brings apps that enhance me to the forefront. The items I have on my home screen are:

• Phone by Google
• Google Messages
• Google Maps
• YouTube Music
• Insight Timer
• TimeR Machine timers for exercising and stretching
• MyRadar
• Pocket Casts widget

LeechBlock NG - LeechBlock NG is a browser extension that can add some friction to accessing websites you choose. I currently have a list of sites (news, politics, etc.) that I block during the week and unblock during the weekend.