21 Steps To an Easy Digital Declutter for Your Business
Are you feeling overwhelmed and stressed? Are you having trouble finding time to get everything done? If so, it might be time for a digital declutter.
In this blog post, we will discuss 21 ways that you can declutter the digital aspects of your business and your life. Following these tips will help you streamline and feel more in control of your personal life and business!
Why should you do a digital declutter?
A digital declutter can help you in many ways. For one, it can ease your anxiety and stress levels. It can also help you to be more productive with your time. And finally, it will give you a sense of control over your life and business.
Another benefit is reducing the influence of the attention economy. This is a system where our attention is bought and sold by corporations. They create constant distractions (like social media notifications) that keep us coming back for more.
When we declutter our digital lives, we say no to the attention economy and take back control of our time and focus.
Take it one step at a time
Digital decluttering can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to feel like an impossible task. There are a few different ways you could go about this process. Your choice will depend on how committed (or not) you want to want to be about cleaning up your digital life.
You can start small by just taking one tip from below. Or you can tackle everything by using these tips as a digital declutter checklist.
21 Steps for Digital Decluttering
1. Use time blocking.
When you focus on one activity at a time, you’ll be more productive. Set aside periods during which you will check your email accounts and social media accounts or work with clients, but only focus on one task at a time. Embrace the power of time blocks and use them to minimize digital clutter!
2. Turn off notifications.
You’ll be able to focus on your business without being distracted by chimes that just pull you away from what’s important. Of course, other distractions will still be there once you silence those notifications. But you can deal with them when it is convenient for YOU!
3. Limit your social media profiles.
Social media is a great way to stay connected with your audience and peers, but it can also be a huge time suck. If you’re browsing through your feeds for hours, it might be time to declutter your social media accounts. Only keep the accounts you actually use, and that add value to your business. Get rid of the ones that you don’t enjoy.
4. Decide what you want to see in your social media feeds.
If you want to see more of what’s happening in your industry, follow relevant hashtags or create a Twitter list. If you want to stay up-to-date on the latest news, follow news outlets specializing in your industry. Block content that makes you feel bad, and don’t be afraid to unfriend or unfollow those who post too much negative content.
5. Declutter your email.
Gmail’s tabs and labels system has made life easier for many people, but it requires a bit of setup. Create filters to automatically move certain types of messages straight into folders so you can stay on top of your inbox!
6. Only handle email once.
If an email can be taken care of in less than two minutes, take care of it right then and there. If not, add it to your to-do list to deal with later. This will help you keep your inbox clean and prevent you from going through the same emails multiple times.
7. Unsubscribe from unwanted emails.
Do a clean sweep of your inbox and unsubscribe from any email lists that you don’t want or need. This will help declutter your inbox and make it easier to find the important messages.
Unroll.me is a great tool that can help you unsubscribe from multiple email lists with just a few clicks. Alternatively, many marketing emails will include a link at the bottom to update your email preferences (if you don’t want to unsubscribe completely).
8. Archive old emails.
If you have emails that you need to keep but don’t need to access regularly, archive them, so they’re out of your way. You can always search for them later if you need to find something.
9. Delete photos from your phone regularly.
We all have those digital photos that we’ve meant to delete but never get around to it. Make it a habit to go through your pictures every few weeks and delete those you don’t need. This will declutter your phone and free up space for new photos!
10. Declutter your hard drive.
Like your physical space, your computer’s hard drive can become cluttered over time. Go through your files and delete anything you don’t need. Eliminating digital file clutter makes it easier to find what you need.
Move important files to the cloud or an external hard drive so you can free up space on your computer. (This has the side benefits of keeping your files safe and allowing you to access them from any device.)
11. Set up a filing system for your digital files.
Having a place for everything will help you keep your digital space organized. Put files in folders and subfolders so that you can find them easily when you need them.
12. Use consistent file names.
When you have thousands of files, it can be tough to find the one you’re looking for. Use consistent file names so you can quickly scan through a list and find the file you need. And use file names that make sense.
13. Make folders on your computer desktop.
A cluttered desktop can be overwhelming and make finding the files you need challenging. Instead, organize your desktop by creating folders for different types of files. You can even color-code your folders to make things easier!
14. Clean up the icons on your desktop screen.
If you have a lot of icons, they can become visually overwhelming. Instead, delete the icons for programs you don’t use and move the ones you do use to a folder on your desktop. This will declutter your screen and make finding the files you need easier.
15. Clean out your downloads folder.
Your downloads folder can quickly become cluttered with old files that you don’t need anymore. Instead, go through your downloads regularly and delete those you don’t need. This will help to keep your computer organized and running smoothly.
16. Back up your files.
It’s essential to back up your files in case of a computer crash or other disaster. Many cloud-based storage options are available, such as Google Drive or Dropbox. Choose the best option for you, and make sure to back up your files regularly!
17. Declutter your browser bookmarks and extensions.
Do you have a long list of bookmarks that you never use? Delete the ones you don’t need and organize the ones you do use into folders. This is also a good time to delete any browser extensions that you no longer use.
18. Create a social media calendar.
If you find yourself spending too much time on social media, it might be helpful to create a social media calendar. This will help you plan and schedule your posts in advance, so you’re not wasting time figuring out what to post.
19. Utilize a password manager for your computer and your phone.
Having a password manager can help you keep track of all your passwords in one place. This will declutter your mind and help you to stay organized. Plus, it’s just a huge time saver. LastPass is the program I use to manage my passwords.
20. Cancel any paid subscriptions you don’t use or find value in anymore.
Search through your Paypal account and email inbox for subscriptions and renewal notices. If there are any subscriptions you no longer use or find value in, cancel them! This will declutter your life and help you to save money.
21. Remove any apps from your phone that you don’t use.
We all have those apps that we’ve downloaded and never used. Go through your phone settings and delete apps you don’t need. This will declutter your phone and help you to save space.
Decluttering your life and business can be a daunting task, but you’ll get there if you take it one step at a time. These 21 tips should help you get started on the road to organization. The important thing is to take action.
And while the goal here is to get you on the right path, remember there’s no pressure.
If this feels overwhelming or too difficult, don’t worry – take your time going through these steps and do what sounds best for YOU! Any progress you make will free up mental space to focus more on your business.
Once you’ve implemented a few of these tips, set up an ongoing maintenance routine so that you don’t fall back into bad habits. That will help you minimize any digital clutter down the road.
You’ll soon be organized, and your company’s energy will shift from chaotic to calm.
FAQs
A digital declutter is the process of organizing and cleaning up your digital space. This can include your computer files, social media accounts, and email inbox.
There are a few things you can do to declutter your digital space. For example, you can organize your files into folders, use consistent file names, and clear out your desktop icons. You can also clean out your downloads folder and back up your files.
One way to declutter and organize your emails is to create folders for different types of emails. You can also delete any emails you don’t need and unsubscribe from any newsletters or email lists you’re not interested in.
A digital clean-up is similar to a digital declutter. It’s the process of organizing and cleaning up your digital workspace. This can include your computer files, social media accounts, and email inbox.
You can do a few things to organize and declutter your files. For example, you can create folders, use consistent file names, and clear out your desktop icons. You can also clean out your downloads folder and back up your files.
Want to remember this? Save Digital Declutter to your favorite Pinterest board.
