Carve more peace and simplicity into your life with a digital decluttering session!
Let’s face it, as Mums, our brains are already overflowing with information overload. Between remembering lunchboxes, sport practice schedules, and the existential dread of “what’s for dinner?”. The last thing we need is another layer of digital clutter.
I don’t know about you but my phone notifications sound like a constant game of digital whack-a-mole. Does your inbox resemble a never-ending to-do list written in emoji code too?
Yeah, me too. Don’t get me wrong, without my tech, I really don’t know how my family would survive! But there needs to be some balance.
Whilst those organisation apps, instant photos in your pocket and emails help our lives run smoothly, they quickly build up to digital clutter!
Monitoring and decluttering your tech on occasion is essential. Or you just might find that your brain officially turns into mashed potatoes.
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Table of Contents
What is Digital Decluttering?
I’ve just touched on a couple of examples of digital clutter but I’m going to outline even more below. What exactly needs digital decluttering?
Simply put, digital decluttering is cleaning and organising your tech or digital space so that it works for you.
In short, spaces where you’ll find digital clutter include:
- Email Inbox
- Digital Photographs
- Unused Apps
- Outdated Software
- Computer Desktops
- Digital File Directory
- Browser Tabs
- Downloads
- Notifications
- Subscriptions
- Social Media
Are there any examples here that you didn’t even think of? Perhaps there are some aspects of this list that you have a hold on and others that are crazy out of control?
Don’t worry, I know it does seem daunting but it doesn’t need to be done all at once, we’ll come up with a plan!
The Digital Clutter Problem (How it Affects Your Life)
Digital clutter isn’t just an eyesore (although, let’s be real, those overflowing inboxes are a visual assault). It’s a major contributor to stress.
That constant notification ping, and the nagging feeling of unread emails. It all adds up to a low-grade anxiety that can leave us feeling frazzled and overwhelmed.
Don’t get me started on those little red bubbles on the phone screaming at you that you need to read or action something!
Let’s talk about time and our lack of it! I find it to be a slippery slope between technology helping and technology just sucking what little time we have.
Even with simple tasks like…. why is the school lunch ordering app being defiant today and it’s just taken me 20 minutes to place an order?! I should have just made lunches.
How many times have you been sucked down a rabbit hole of Pinterest DIY projects or adorable animal videos, only to resurface hours later with the important spreadsheet for daycare forgotten?
Yep, digital clutter is a productivity killer, stealing precious moments we could be spending on things that actually matter (like that elusive nap we all desperately crave).
But the real kicker? Finding information. You need that recipe you saved for the family picnic but did you screenshot it? Save it to an app? Who knows?!
So let’s get into the digital declutter to clean and create a more organized digital space.
The Solution to Your Digital Clutter
The Plan
All of this can seem really overwhelming. We rely so much on our tech. All you need is a simple plan. Don’t make it too complex or you’ll end up with too much planning and not enough doing!
1. Firstly, read through this article to see the hacks for each digital space. Think about the ones that you are affected by. You might like to jot them down if it helps.
2. Now pick one of those digital spaces to focus on. This could be the one that gives you the most trouble or perhaps it’s the one that will give you the easiest and quickest win. (See, this is why I said to read through the article so you have an idea of how long it will take you).
3. Take your time. The amount of time it will take varies greatly from person to person. You wouldn’t expect a deep clean of your home to take only a few hours if it hasn’t been done in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years etc. A digital clean is the same as regular cleaning (yup, I just took the fun out of it by reminding you it’s the same as washing dishes or cleaning bathrooms).
A lot of technology is supposed to make your life easier. I think we’re so desperate for these apps, tools and ‘secrets’ to work.
We don’t stop to realise that we’re not all programmed the same, therefore these tools and methods won’t work for everyone. And that’s okay.
You know yourself best so don’t force something. If one of these methods isn’t working, move on to something else. You’ll find suggestions here but sometimes you might need to slightly modify a hack, method or tool for it to work for you.
If you’re not yet familiar with your organising style, just get started and I promise you, before long you’ll soon know what will work for you. You’ll also know what hacks and secrets you need to avoid!
Below are a few basics to remember when cleaning your digital spaces.
Mindful Deleting
Think about cleaning your closet. If you haven’t worn (or used) it in 12 months then do you really need it? Set yourself a time frame. Perhaps some apps only need to be used once per year and that’s fine to keep them. But if you’ve forgotten about an app or software and no longer use it then remove it.
If you aren’t sure that you’ll need something, then create a temporary folder to store it in. Perhaps you’re not sure about deleting some photos? Place them here and come back to them later.
Utilise Folders
Sometimes emails, browser tabs, tasks and the like are left hanging in digital limbo. Finding a home for them within folders helps.
You can create folders on your phone to organise apps; folders to organise emails; folders to organise documents.
Creating 1-2 Digital Organisational Spaces
Ideally, you should select just one space to organise things that you need to do. Or might need to find or remember at a later date.
I use two different apps for this since I use them for both work and my personal life. Each app is slightly different and helps me in various aspects.
Previously I used Evernote for years. Then their free tier accounts changed and it didn’t work for me anymore. I’ve been using Notion for some time and I’m loving it.
I use Notion to take notes and can search my projects for keywords to find them quickly. I like that I can use this on my computers and devices.
The other app I use, which is also free is Asana. I use this more for work as I like their calendar and planning functionality. I also like the fact that I can use this on any of my computers and devices.
It’s important not to have too many of these tools or you will find that digital clutter piling up again! For personal use, it’s good to have a note-taking app/tool. You need to be able to search and find what you need easily. And of course, be able to access the tool anywhere and on the go.
Types of Spaces for Digital Decluttering
App/Software Cleanup
If you can’t remember using an app or software then it needs to be deleted! Set yourself a time frame and if you haven’t used it in that time frame then remove it. Depending on the software, you can always just reinstall it if need be.
Make sure you are regularly updating software on your computer. If you don’t it will eventually create problems and will also impact the efficiency of your computer.
Email List Organisation & Unsubscribing
Take some time to unsubscribe from those emails you no longer need. I often unsubscribe from emails by clicking the Mailing List Unsubscribe link at the top of the email (saves scrolling to the end!). There are also tools that you can use to bulk unsubscribe such as Clean Email.
Tips for organizing your emails include:
- Make sure you are utilizing folders and labels to organize emails you don’t want to delete.
- Consider “batch checking” emails at specific times instead of letting them pile up and stress you out.
- Once you’ve actioned an email, deal with it. Put it in a folder or delete it.
- Check and delete emails from your spam folder on occasion.
- Don’t forget to empty your deleted email folder from time to time.
I went a step further and created an email address purely for shopping emails. I receive all promotional materials to this account.
This also keeps my regular email account free so that I can see the important stuff. My shopping account has all those emails that I might be interested in from time to time but is certainly not urgent.
Close Those Tabs!
This one is particularly bad on phones. I am guilty of this… do you have tabs that have been open for a couple of years because you’re going to get around to it soon?
I know, I shouldn’t admit that! Do what I did… be ruthless and close them! If it’s really that important then bookmark it.
I spoke above about creating 1-2 spaces for organising. You can save this here if you need to. I generally create a note in Notion and save links that are all similar (eg. paper crafts to try, LowFOD recipes and helpful articles etc).
Bookmark Blitz
I’m fairly certain I’ve accidentally bookmarked things on my phone and have no idea where they are! Have you done the same?
Personally, I have a lot of sites bookmarked on my computer’s internet browser. Do I ever use them? Pretty much um… no. Maybe a few times a year. I just don’t relate to organising with bookmarks but I’m sure it does for some people.
I do however have my bookmarks organised into folders such as Biz; Kids Fun; Design Tools etc. This helps to organise these types of links.
The one thing I do use regularly is the Bookmarks bar of my internet browser (image below). I have so many things I need at hand that I’ve actually removed their description so that I’m left only with their logo. I access these sites so often, that I recognise only their icon.
File Directory Organisation
This one might require a glass of wine and some serious commitment. Organize your digital files into clear categories, and create a consistent naming system. It has to make sense to you so that you can find your files again.
Depending on how extensive your digital filing system is, you may want to look into a cloud server. I’ve used various over the years but have been using Google Drive for some time.
I like Google Drive as it works well for my work. This is mostly due to it offering large amounts of storage, the ability to link to other services, access on any computer/device, a desktop version and reliability.
Desktop Cleanup
We seem to accumulate a lot on our computer desktops. I always have a heap of screenshots! Delete or save these regularly as it significantly reduces your computer’s efficiency.
As with computers, your device screens can also get messy. Clean and organise your apps into folders.
Old Downloaded Files
Don’t forget to clean out your deleted items folder and downloads folder. This could be on your computer, your inbox, the files app on your phone or cloud server.
Depending on your device/computer you might be able to set up rules so that anything moved to the Trash folder is permanently deleted after a specified time. This is one of the quicker tasks that frees up a lot of space and helps your tech work more efficiently!
Update Notification Settings
Those constant pings and dings are not your friends. Adjust your notification settings to silence unnecessary ones and give yourself some peace and quiet (not to mention, focus!).
Often you can change the type of notification you’ll receive or even how often. I simply turned off all of my Instagram notifications as they were bugging me! If a subscriber or reader messages me, I have the Meta app that notifies me.
Don’t forget that you can also temporarily pop your phone on airplane mode if you just need some time to focus.
I get a lot of customer sales and queries whilst I’m sleeping so I also like to use the Focus setting on my phone to specify which apps and contacts can notify me during this time.
Unwanted Subscriptions
Keep more money in that purse with a digital decluttering of your subscriptions. Do you still use that music streaming service? Or that $5 per month on that app you can’t remember?
Social Media Purge
Now I won’t get too dramatic and suggest you get rid of a social media platform entirely (but you can if you want!).
Unfollow people you don’t know or who cram your feed with things you don’t care to see. Remove yourself from groups you no longer need to be a part of.
Digital Photo Organisation
Before you tackle this digital decluttering task, you should probably have at least worked out a method for organising the folders on your computer/cloud drive.
I did mention that one would require a glass of wine… well photographs might require a few glasses!
We’re forever taking photos, there are so many to organise. I could write for days on this.
One way I try to stay on top of photos is to delete as I go. You really don’t need 7 of the same image! (I seem to just press and keep going just in case someone blinks or something!).
I also regularly cull photos in my phone whilst I’m scrolling through the Album. I find this quick and easy – I have way too many photos of shopping lists and screenshots of random stuff.
I also update the settings on my WhatsApp chats so that it doesn’t automatically save every photo I receive (that one really bugs me!).
You should be storing your photos somewhere other than your phone. If your phone backs the images to a cloud then that works.
- If you already have masses of photos that need to be organised, I wouldn’t start there. I have organised mine into folders according to year and left them. From that point, I began to organise the next/new lot of photos (hey, you can always come back to the older ones).
- Choose a simple filing structure that works for you. This could be by date, by person or on occasion. Perhaps it’s a mix of all of them.
- If you didn’t remove duplicates from your phone and they’ve made their way to your directory then delete them now. If you’re not sure that you’re able to let go of a particular photo then create a separate folder for the ‘maybe’ pile. And maybe you’ll come back and delete them later.
Final Thoughts on Digital Clutter
Digital clutter can negatively impact our productivity, focus, and overall well-being. It can leave us feeling overwhelmed, and anxious, creating difficulty in managing our day-to-day lives and schedules.
Digital decluttering is a journey, not a destination. Start small, and celebrate your victories (no matter how tiny!). Before you know it, you’ll have a calm, organized tech space that works for you, not the other way around.
Do you have a digital decluttering tip that I’ve missed from the list? I’d love to hear it, comment below!
Other resources you may like:
FREEBIE: Digital Declutter Checklist
FREEBIE: Family Cleaning Bingo Game
ARTICLE: 17 Quick Tips on How to Clean Your Home Fast
ARTICLE: Reasons Mess Comes Back When You Declutter Your Home
FROM MY SHOP: Children’s Reward Charts & Schedules
