7 Easy Ways to Digitally Declutter (and De-stress)

It’s time to KonMari your digital life.

If your email inbox always runneth over, you have 17 browser tabs open at any given time, and your storage is always full, we’re talking to you. Decluttering your digital life is the path to freedom and better emotional health in 2019. Because we all know how messy surroundings can cause stress and anxiety: the same is true with a disorganized online life. Tidying up takes a little time and effort but it will actually save you time and energy going forward. And you sure do feel better once it’s done.

So how can you go about cleaning up your online life? By breaking the digital hoarding cycle. (Yes, that is an actual thing.) Read on to see how you can declutter and destress in 2019.

1. Streamline your computer desktop. Move files and pictures to folders. Get rid of unnecessary icons. The more your eye has to look at, the more your brain has to process, and it can be hard to think clearly.
2. Get consistent with file names. Use the same system to name files and put them in folders. They will be easier to find and you won’t end up saving multiple copies in different places.
3. Oust unused apps. How many pages of apps do you have on your smartphone? And how many do you actually use? If you haven’t opened it in six months or longer, hit delete.
4. Do a social media purge. Make sure everything in your feed is something you’re actually interested in seeing. Unfollow any accounts that aren’t interesting to you. You’ll find you’re actually more engaged with the ones that are left.
5. Unsubscribe. If your inbox is filled with promotional emails, you probably spend a decent amount of time sifting through and deleting. Unsubscribe from any newsletters that don’t spark joy.
6. Don’t use your inbox as a to-do list. Try the act-file-delete system from productivity expert Janice Russel. There are only three things you should do with an email- act on it, file it, or delete it. Any message you can’t immediately respond to or trash is organized into a specific folder, like “waiting on response,” “to-do,” or “low priority.”
7. Organize your photos. They don’t all need to be on your phone–nor do they fit! Save your photos on a cloud drive, Dropbox, Shutterfly or OneDrive. And try printing them out so you can actually enjoy your pics in person–just remember to delete them from your phone.

What’s your tip for digitally decluttering? Tell us in the comments!