Decluttering Digital Spaces

In our current digital environment, we are constantly bombarded with information and data. With the rise of remote work and online activities, our digital spaces have become more cluttered than ever. We accumulate emails, files, and applications on our devices, making it difficult to find what we need quickly and efficiently. This clutter not only affects our productivity but also adds anxiety and stress to our lives. In this blog post, we will explore how to declutter our digital spaces and improve our digital lives.

Decluttering your digital space involves organising your files, emails, notifications and applications. 

What are digital spaces?

Digital spaces are any places where you store data that is not in hard copy. You might have a computer, tablet and phone which you use for both work and private activities. Accessing that stored data is a part of your daily life and necessary for your livelihood. The data you store may be stored locally (on your device) or remotely on cloud based services. 

Why declutter? Define your objectives.

Firstly, the clutter on your devices can affect you just as much as clutter in your immediate physical space. If your home or office is cluttered you surely suffer some stress from this, even if you are not acutely aware of it at every moment. You spend multiple hours daily with your digital spaces and even momentary irritations add up to prolonged stressful situations. Having multiple online accounts active, receiving tons of marketing email or social media notifications also leads to fragmented attention and a loss in productivity. 

What could be the objectives of a digital declutter? You may want to save storage space locally or remotely (often with a cost saving). You may want to reduce the friction each time you search for information. Maybe you have moved away from certain projects or careers and you no longer need the information. All of these are valid reasons to declutter and there may be many more.

How to declutter:

• Start by identifying which digital spaces need decluttering, such as your email inbox, computer desktop, or smartphone home screen. Next, create a system for organising your files and applications, such as creating folders or using a tagging system. Unsubscribe from newsletters and emails that are no longer relevant and delete duplicate files or old versions of documents.

• Another helpful tip is to establish a regular routine for decluttering. Set aside a specific time each week or month to go through your digital spaces and clean out any unnecessary files or emails. This will help you stay on top of your digital clutter and prevent it from piling up again in the future.

• Naming is one of the biggest things you can do to organise your spaces. Take the time to establish a naming convention for files and folders. How often have you named a folder “latest” and then lost track of revisions when new information superseded it. 

• Look at your apps critically. If you find an app that you haven’t used in a significant amount of time, let it go. Uninstall it and remove any associated files. You will not only save space, but declutter your home screen or desktop. Lessening the stress associated with looking at a busy digital environment.

• Re-look at notifications. Notifications not only distract you when they appear, they often linger on your device and cause clutter. Sidebar notifications, pop-ups, banners and even little numbers on app icons. They all add to the untidiness of the space. Turn off notifications or set them so they disappear after a short time.

• Clear your inbox. Inbox zero is the dream for many. Having a clear inbox is a breath of fresh air. You may need to devote significant time initially to looking through unread items, filing them or deleting them. However you can save time in this process by using the search tool to find items such as newsletters or online stores that you receive often. Delete in bulk. Also be sure to unsubscribe. Then make time weekly to get your unread emails down to zero. The more often you do this the quicker it will be. If you are copied in on many emails, ask your team to limit this. You can also set rules in your email app to automatically send emails from certain senders or with certain subject lines to dedicated folders.

Bonus:

Consider implementing a minimalist mindset when it comes to your digital spaces. Just as physical clutter can weigh us down, digital clutter can also drain our energy and make it difficult to focus. By simplifying our digital spaces and only keeping what is necessary, we can create a more streamlined and productive environment. In the same way a minimalist would have less possessions in their homes, so you can have less artefacts in your digital environment.

Decluttering your digital spaces may take some time and effort, but the benefits are worth it. By creating an organised and minimalist digital space, you can improve your productivity, reduce stress, and create a more enjoyable digital experience.