Digital Declutter
Do you find yourself constantly scrolling through your phone, only left to feel overwhelmed and depleted? Do you have a ton of apps on your phone that you rarely use, but forget to delete? We tend to put a lot of focus and attention towards organizing and cleaning out physical clutter, but despite so much of our lives being online, we don’t usually take the time to declutter our devices. Think of this as your opportunity to give your digital life a little tidying up, so you can be a little more efficient and productive.
There are so many reasons and benefits to simplifying your digital life, but some of the main reasons I do this practice is to find focus when using my computer or phone, keep my digital devices lasting longer, and stay engaged and efficient. Ultimately, you can think of digital decluttering as the process of streamlining and creating structure to your digital life. Organizing your digital devices can look like many different things, like deleting unused apps, unsubscribing from unnecessary emails, or clearing out your photo/video gallery. I like to think of the decluttering steps that will make my digital environment feel calm and clear of distractions. I want this process to be unique to everyone, but here are some of my top suggestions for tackling your devices:
COMPUTER
When it comes to organizing your computer, it’s not necessarily a right or wrong answer, it’s about finding a system that’s sustainable and works for you. When it comes to finding structure for your files, I recommend choosing one of 3 systems: client-based, date-based, or file-based. I, personally, usually go the route of client/project, but it’s important you find something that works for you.
Client/Project-Based: If you have multiple projects or clients, you will love this option! The main goal is to create a different folder for every client/project. From there, each folder will contain the relevant files and documents. If you have one client with multiple projects, I like to create individual project folders within each client folder. For example, I have a “Home Renovations” main folder and subfolders within it labeled “financials,” “contracts,” and then a separate folder for each individual room.
Date-Based: If you go this route, you’ll typically name each folder a year, and then a subfolder for each month (you can also do week, but that can be tedious). I find this system to really only work if you tend to be downloading the same types of documents month after month. For example, if you are consistently downloading a marketing report, date-based sorting is perfect.
File Type: I tend to like this organization system if you are an independent contractor or strictly work for one company. I say all of this because each folder is based on the file-type. For example, your folders would likely be labeled “financials,” “graphics,” “blogs.” If you are like myself, who goes the route of client/project, I love to use the file-system as my subfolders. So under “Jessica Rabbit,” you can find “financials,” “photos,” etc.
Like I mentioned, this isn’t a one-system-fits-all situation, it’s so important to choose the one that fits you and your lifestyle. As amazing as this computer decluttering makeover is, I encourage you all to build digital decluttering habits into your day by day. Here are a few habits I try to maintain:
File things immediately. It is such a small extra step and it makes all the difference.
Never save to your desktop. Your desktop is your front stage and nobody wants to start their day by opening a computer with a cluttered desktop.
Be consistent. These systems only work if you stay on top of it. Schedule out a time in your week where you can delete anything sitting (and no longer of use) in your Downloads folder, double check your desktop is clear, and always back up your computer.
Be descriptive with your names. Whichever organization system you choose, be consistent and specific with how you label your files. For example, I use something like, “Jessica Rabbit-Pantry Organization-January 2022.”
Remember, there’s always room for improvement. If you find yourself stuck with too many folders or a folder with 200 files, you might need to find a new system. This isn’t a bad thing! It’s all about experimenting.
PHONE
Decluttering my phone is one of my favorite to-dos and there are numerous benefits of doing so. It can free up storage space, improve your phone’s performance and reduce the amount of time you spend mindlessly scrolling through social media. As an added bonus, it can reduce stress and anxiety, and help you focus on what’s truly important in your life. To keep things straightforward and easy, here are a few of my suggestions:
Go through your apps and delete any that you either never use, or those that no longer serve a purpose. If you only use the app once a month or so, consider using the mobile site instead (so you can delete the app).
For apps that you choose to keep that you don’t use frequently, you can “hide” them. This makes it easier to find the apps you use most often.
Create folders for similar apps. This will make it easier to find the app you're looking for and will keep your home screen from getting cluttered.
Use alphabetical order to arrange your apps. This will make it easy to find an app by its first letter and will keep your app list organized. If you prefer, color-coding is also a great option! I tend to know apps by colors, so this one is my favorite solution but i know most people this doesn't work for!
Use the search function to quickly find a specific app. This will save you time and make it easy to access the app you're looking for.
Turn off notifications to any apps that are neither important or urgent.
Now that you are finished with your apps, organize your photo and video gallery into albums (total game changer) and delete any photos or videos you no longer need! This is one of the steps that I highly recommend you schedule time to do weekly. It’s so easy for screenshots, memes, and random photos to pile up. Build the habit of clearing out photos regularly.
The step that I am working on the most is setting aside specific times of the day for checking social media and/or emails, and stick to those times. If it helps, I even will set alarms for when I can check (have I mentioned I am a Virgo).
EMAILS
There is nothing quite as overwhelming as an inbox flooded with unopened emails. If you find yourself consistently sifting through messages, trying to find the important ones, it’s time to declutter your email inbox. The best way to start, in my opinion, is to unsubscribe from email lists that you no longer want to receive. This is an immediate way of minimizing the number of unwanted emails and reducing your anxiety. The next step is to mass delete junk mail. A quick way of going about this is you can search for the store/brand’s name or email address (that you are hoping to delete) via your inbox's search bar, select all the emails that match your criteria from the search results page, and then hit your trash button. For any email you aren’t ready to delete (just in case), utilize the archive button. Your goal is to keep things hidden and clean, so having them out of sight (but still attainable) is ideal. You are still able to see them if you go to “All Mail,” but they will no longer flood your inbox. You can also automate this process by using the “Filter” option. In Gmail, you can create a filter via its search box. Just click on the Show Search Options icon within the search box. When the form pops up, enter your search criteria, and then click “Create Filter.” This is an easy way of automatically deleting or archiving messages as they come in.
From here, similar to your computer, you will want to use folders to organize your email going forward. Again, it’s important you find something that works for you! I like to have each folder a current client’s name. That way, any correspondence I have with a client can all be found in one place. Within the folder, I will use the “star” or “flag” button to mark specific emails from the client. This will help you identify the messages that require your immediate attention and keep them separate from the rest. I schedule out a time weekly (this can vary based on your job and client load) where I can go through the emails, archive any emails (or clients) that are no longer in-progress. This is the easiest way for me to keep my email clean, clear, and current!
When you take the time to declutter your digital life, you create a healthier and more enjoyable digital experience. Give it a try and see the benefits for yourself! DM me with any and all questions!
Xx Jen