You cannot talk about decluttering without mentioning the digital devices that have taken over our lives in the last 15 years or so. With all the time that you spend on your PC and mobile device, they are bound to get cluttered over time.
Digital clutter, after a while, gets out of control if left undealt with. There will come a time when you will lose track of the important files and folders amidst a bunch of the unimportant ones. You’ll forget the location of the photos, screenshots and documents that actually matter because you were too busy collecting trash in your phone.
If you are trying to figure out whether your digital devices need to be purged of unwanted information, try answering these questions with utmost honesty:
- How many apps in your phone have been lying unused for the last 6 months?
- How often do you get the notification that your device storage is all clogged up?
- Do you take many photos in the same pose and don’t care to delete the ones that are irrelevant?
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The clutter in your digital devices is more hazardous than that lying in your house. Imagine what you can achieve in all the minutes that you waste looking for a file in your mobile or computer. And think about the mental energy that can be saved if you have all the files and documents nicely organized in your devices.
Digital decluttering isn’t a one-time thing or even a once-in-a-month spree. It’s something that is required to be done on a routine basis. Here’s a detailed checklist that can help you increase your productivity by keeping your digital devices decluttered every day:
1. Delete Online Accounts that have been sitting unused for more than a year. You might have been intrigued by a newly introduced social media platform and created an account on it only to abandon it later. There might be online shopping sites that you created an account on but didn’t buy anything. Look into your inbox to find welcome emails and deactivate/delete accounts that are no longer relevant.
2. Uninstall unused apps in your phone by going through them individually. Any app that has been lying in your list of Sleeping Apps for more than a month should immediately be uninstalled.
3. Remove old/outdated/unused icons from your desktop.
4. Remove unnecessary shortcuts from the Desktop and get rid of any unneeded browser extensions.
5. Uninstall programs on your desktop that are never used or rarely used.
6. Look for the software that need update and perform it right away.
7. Clear the browsing history of both your PC and mobile device on a weekly basis.
8. Go through your Favourites Folder and uncheck programs and pages that are no longer your favourite.
9. Block/Unfollow/Unfriend/Mute people on social media that make you question your self-worth or are disrupting your mental peace.
10. Exit Facebook and Whatsapp groups that don’t serve your interests or are a source of distraction in your life.
11. Close the excess tabs in your mobile and PC to prevent device slowdown.
12. Delete Photos that remind you of a painful memory or those that don’t bring you joy.
13. Organize images in properly labelled folders in your Gallery.
14. Go through your mobile playlist and get rid of tracks you no longer love.
15. Go through your Downloads folder and get rid of files that are plain trash or old.
16. Check for the App Updates in your mobile phone and do the needful.
17. Hide the apps that are used less frequently so they don’t end up clogging your App List.
18. Go through the list of Paid Subscriptions and get rid of the ones that you no longer need. Use this opportunity to downgrade to a low-priced plan that can serve all your needs.
19. Remove unused bookmarks in the browsers of your mobile and PC.
20. Empty the recycle bin of your desktop and mobile. Items lying in your recycle bin are still taking up the storage space in your devices. So, make sure that you empty the recycle bin if it’s all clogged up with deleted files.
21. Disable Notifications from the apps that aren’t adding value to your life. If you find yourself feeling distracted by the notifications you keep receiving from social media apps, limit them.
22. Trim down your Contacts list of any contacts that are old and unwanted. Also keep the remaining contacts updated.
23. Delete unwanted or duplicate photos from your mobile gallery. This includes any screenshots and junk videos.
24. Go through your Documents folder and get rid of files that aren’t relevant anymore. These may be files from your old job or academic files from your college days. If it isn’t needed anymore, let it go.
25. Clear Browser Cache of both your mobile and desktop. This step alone can speed up your browser and improve the functionality of your devices.
26. Move documents and photos to the cloud – Go through the files and documents in your mobile phone and PC and upload them to the cloud. Not only will it help create a backup of your data but will free up a lot of space in your digital devices.
27. Unsubscribe from irrelevant marketing offers – Marketing offers and newsletters are often a major source of clutter in your email inbox. Imagine how easy it would become to organize your inbox if you spend just a few minutes subscribing from unneeded mailing lists.
28. Delete old emails that are unimportant and are serving no purpose today.
Now this list might just look like another daunting task on your to-do list. But the truth is that every second that you spend decluttering your digital devices is making your life less complicated. If you still find it time-consuming, do it while travelling to work or when you are watching television. By practicing it regularly, it will soon become a part of your routine thereby helping you simplify your digital life.