Hi everyone! Today's post is going to be about how you can declutter your digital space, and I'm going to cover 2 main areas that people use the most; your laptop/computer and your phone. We all use digital devices and sometimes we need to take some time in our day to clear through them. When I do this, I treat it as a mini-refresh because I'm going out with the old and making room for the new and useful.
I firmly believe in the "tidy space, tidy mind" saying, and I think that this can 100% apply to your digital space too!
LAPTOP/COMPUTER
I don't know about you, but I sometimes neglect cleaning out my laptop and I need to remind myself regularly to do so.
The first thing to do is to go and delete your downloads. This can be from your browser (like Chrome) and also in your downloads folder on your laptop. These can pile up and cause your device to run slow, so make sure to always delete them once you're done with them!
Clear your desktop, and also go and delete everything in your recycling bin. These things can also pile up and if it's in your recycling bin anyway, chances are you're not going to need them again. In your browser, make sure to delete bookmarks that you don't need anymore.
Now, onto the organising part! Make folders for everything! I have folders within my folders because it helps me separate everything and not make a mess. For example, I have a folder for my blog photos, and within that folder there are folders for my Pinterest images, my stock images, and my own photography. Within all of those there are also folders for images that I've used, and images that I haven't used yet.
Keeping everything separate like this is so vital for my brain to not be overwhelmed with too many files. I know where everything is and can get easy access to any of them if I need to.
If you find you have too many important documents and files to delete, then be sure to invest in a good hard drive. I don't have one personally (my USB works just fine), but a hard drive is a great option to store your files if they're really important to you.
PHONE
Organising my phone is easier than my laptop because I always have it with me. I also get weekly notifications on my phone telling me to have a clear out, which makes it easier to not neglect it.
The first thing is to go and delete useless apps. Anything I haven't used in 2 weeks is removed from my phone. Doing this helps me save space on my phone and keeps the amount of apps I have down to a minimum.
Next, also delete photos, videos, and messages that you don't need anymore. If you haven't looked at it or watched it, then delete! If you haven't messaged someone in a long time - I'm talking months - then delete the chat too. Be sure to also tackle your contacts! If you haven't called someone in a long time or don't plan to, then remove their number from your phone! I had loads of numbers saved from my high school contacts but most of us don't even talk anymore! Keeping their numbers seems pointless, so I deleted them!
Another way you can declutter your phone is by unfriending people on social media. If you two haven't talked in a while (or even if you just want to unfriend them!), then go ahead and do so. Only keep the people who spark joy in your life, not the ones who do the opposite.
As for organisation, I personally like to make folders for all of my apps. I have folders labelled "Important", "Regularly used", "Media", "Google" (for apps I can't delete), "Utilities", "Never used" (again, apps I can't delete 😢) and "Blogging". Having them separated this way helps me know where the important things are, and where I can find them if I need to quickly.
Another organisational tip is to keep a minimal amount of screens. I have 3 screens on my phone because that's all I need and everything fits well on them. One screen is my homepage, one screen has my Google calendar widget, and one has my folders and other little widgets. Having too many screens means you'll constantly be flipping back and forth trying to find something - which is something no-one wants! I'd say stick to 3 screens maximum.
Those are the ways I keep my digital space decluttered and organised! It's very straightforward and you can literally do this yourself in less than 30 minutes! I'm trying to get better with keeping it organised and clean often, and going through once a week is working for me. How do you keep your digital space decluttered?
The first thing to do is to go and delete your downloads. This can be from your browser (like Chrome) and also in your downloads folder on your laptop. These can pile up and cause your device to run slow, so make sure to always delete them once you're done with them!
Clear your desktop, and also go and delete everything in your recycling bin. These things can also pile up and if it's in your recycling bin anyway, chances are you're not going to need them again. In your browser, make sure to delete bookmarks that you don't need anymore.
Now, onto the organising part! Make folders for everything! I have folders within my folders because it helps me separate everything and not make a mess. For example, I have a folder for my blog photos, and within that folder there are folders for my Pinterest images, my stock images, and my own photography. Within all of those there are also folders for images that I've used, and images that I haven't used yet.
Keeping everything separate like this is so vital for my brain to not be overwhelmed with too many files. I know where everything is and can get easy access to any of them if I need to.
If you find you have too many important documents and files to delete, then be sure to invest in a good hard drive. I don't have one personally (my USB works just fine), but a hard drive is a great option to store your files if they're really important to you.
PHONE
Organising my phone is easier than my laptop because I always have it with me. I also get weekly notifications on my phone telling me to have a clear out, which makes it easier to not neglect it.
The first thing is to go and delete useless apps. Anything I haven't used in 2 weeks is removed from my phone. Doing this helps me save space on my phone and keeps the amount of apps I have down to a minimum.
Next, also delete photos, videos, and messages that you don't need anymore. If you haven't looked at it or watched it, then delete! If you haven't messaged someone in a long time - I'm talking months - then delete the chat too. Be sure to also tackle your contacts! If you haven't called someone in a long time or don't plan to, then remove their number from your phone! I had loads of numbers saved from my high school contacts but most of us don't even talk anymore! Keeping their numbers seems pointless, so I deleted them!
Another way you can declutter your phone is by unfriending people on social media. If you two haven't talked in a while (or even if you just want to unfriend them!), then go ahead and do so. Only keep the people who spark joy in your life, not the ones who do the opposite.
As for organisation, I personally like to make folders for all of my apps. I have folders labelled "Important", "Regularly used", "Media", "Google" (for apps I can't delete), "Utilities", "Never used" (again, apps I can't delete 😢) and "Blogging". Having them separated this way helps me know where the important things are, and where I can find them if I need to quickly.
Another organisational tip is to keep a minimal amount of screens. I have 3 screens on my phone because that's all I need and everything fits well on them. One screen is my homepage, one screen has my Google calendar widget, and one has my folders and other little widgets. Having too many screens means you'll constantly be flipping back and forth trying to find something - which is something no-one wants! I'd say stick to 3 screens maximum.
Those are the ways I keep my digital space decluttered and organised! It's very straightforward and you can literally do this yourself in less than 30 minutes! I'm trying to get better with keeping it organised and clean often, and going through once a week is working for me. How do you keep your digital space decluttered?