# Separate software contexts

Practice ID: 30
Topic: `personal-systems` (personal systems: Structures that decide where thinking, tools, devices, and contexts belong.)
Added: 2026-09-01
Journey entry point: `reclaim` (Establish chosen roles, boundaries, and routines for the technology that remains.)
Start with: `setup` (setup)
Supports: `clear-place-to-think-and-organize` (a clear place to think and organize; group: `daily-life` / My attention and daily life), `legible-digital-life` (a legible, maintainable digital life; group: `digital-control` / My data and digital setup)

## Pattern

Work, personal life, reading, and other contexts are easier to enter deliberately when software makes their boundaries visible.

## Practice

Use separate profiles, workspaces, tab groups, or applications so unrelated contexts do not collapse into one surface.

## Start small

Create one separate browser profile or workspace for the context that most often leaks into another.

## Watch out

Too many contexts can become organizational overhead; separate only boundaries you can recognize and maintain.

## Concepts

- [intentional friction](https://live.freewith.tech/concepts/intentional-friction.md): A small obstacle creates time to reconsider an automatic digital action.
- [purpose-separated contexts](https://live.freewith.tech/concepts/purpose-separated-contexts.md): Devices and software contexts have clear roles so unrelated parts of life do not collapse into one surface.

## Continue

- [See more in personal systems.](https://live.freewith.tech/?topic=personal-systems#practices)
- [Journey](https://live.freewith.tech/journey.md)
- [Concepts](https://live.freewith.tech/concepts.md)
- [Complete agent-readable database](https://live.freewith.tech/llms.txt)