You’ve heard of feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice that uses the arrangement of objects and space to create harmony and balance. These design principles that inspire peace and prosperity in our daily lives have long been applied to physical spaces, but today our lives are increasingly digital. Enter phone shui. By applying feng shui principles to our smartphones and other digital devices, we can lead more peaceful and intentional digital lives, even online.
Choose a calm colour palette
Choosing calming colours and a soothing wallpaper is an easy way to bring balance and peace to your phone. Soft tones, natural imagery and minimal designs create a sense of clarity every time you unlock your screen, reducing the visual noise that can add subtle stress throughout the day. Phone shui encourages wallpapers that align with personal goals, such as flowing water to represent abundance, sunrise imagery for clarity, or mountain scenes for grounding. Choosing an intentional wallpaper can subtly prime your brain toward the mindset you want to carry through that moment.
Declutter your home screen
Decluttering your home screen is another powerful feng shui practice. Removing unused apps and limiting what appears on your screen creates a clearer, more intentional digital space. Supporting focus rather than distraction really matters, especially given how desperate the apps on our phones are for our attention. Digital clutter has been shown in well-being research to increase cognitive load, making it harder to make decisions quickly. Phone shui recommends deleting old files, screenshots and messages so that your device does not carry stagnant energy. Further, freeing up storage improves your phone’s performance and mental clarity.
Organise your apps by function
Organising your apps by function strengthens this sense of order. Grouping similar tools, whether in folders or arranged by purpose, helps your phone reflect how you want to use your time. This promotes flow and reduces that chaotic feeling that comes with hunting through scattered apps. In phone shui, folders can be renamed with positive phrasing, such as health, money, or creative power, to set thoughtful cues. Many digital users respond strongly to subtle environmental cues, so organising your apps by function can be a surprisingly effective motivator.
Limit notifications
Limiting notifications is equally important. Constant pings and alerts disrupt your attention and create digital noise, which feng shui identifies as disruptive or draining energy. Studies on digital
distraction consistently show that notifications, even the ones you don’t open, reduce concentration and increase stress. Phone shui encourages turning off non-essential alerts to preserve your energy and restore a sense of control. This practice also supports long-term habits for digital well-being, helping your device feel like a tool rather than a constant demand.
Set intentional digital boundaries
Setting intentional digital boundaries, such as using Do Not Disturb or Focus Modes, creates time-specific zones of calm. These boundaries signal when you’re available and when you’re protecting your mental space, mirroring traditional feng shui ideas of separating active and restful areas. Phone shui also emphasises the importance of mindful charging, encouraging people to charge their devices away from the bed so both they and their phone can recharge properly. Studies on sleep hygiene show that reducing proximity to devices at night improves rest quality, making this practice both energetically and scientifically effective.
Regularly clean your phone
Finally, regularly cleaning your phone, both physically and digitally, keeps stagnant energy from building up. Wiping the screen, deleting clutter, and clearing old files refreshes your device, making it feel lighter, more purposeful, and more aligned with the way you want to live. Physical cleaning also removes bacteria, which research has found to accumulate heavily on smartphones handled throughout the day. Phone shui recommends creating a designated place for your phone so you always know where it is, reducing stress and establishing a calming, repeatable ritual that supports intentional use.
