Why Digital Decluttering Is Important
If you’ve been hanging around these parts for awhile, then you know that living a clutter-free life can bring a sense of calm and tranquility to your everyday life. And at Elegant Simplicity, we believe that home is everything you need and nothing more®.
Yet, achieving a clutter-free home + quite frankly, a clutter-free life requires a conscious effort. Think about it, we are constantly connected to our devices. Emails, social media, online shopping, and of course, digital files quickly pile up. Without systems in place, eventually, it causes stress + overwhelm.
But not to fret, friend. This is where digital decluttering comes in. When done right, digital decluttering brings more focus to our daily routines, increases our productivity, + provides the mental clarity to begin having more meaningful experiences in our lives.
Now, if that sounds like a lot… Well, it is because clutter has real negative effects on our health. And digital clutter isn’t any different.
So, what do you say… let’s dive in + look at what digital decluttering actually looks like, shall we?
What Is Digital Decluttering
In order to discuss what digital decluttering is, we have to first look at what defines digital clutter.
Digital Clutter
Digital clutter refers to any digital content that is no longer useful or relevant to you, but still takes up valuable space on your devices but also on your mind.
This clutter can come in various forms, such as old emails that you no longer need, outdated or unused apps, old files, or even duplicate files that are saved in different locations.
Digital clutter not only takes up valuable storage space on your physical devices, but it also distracts you.
And if you asked our co-founder + CEO, John, he would tell you that the key to his personal + professional clarity is that he’s removed notifications from nearly every app on his phone.
Now, we’re going to discuss apps later in this blog but constant notifications from social media, email, and other digital platforms can pull your attention away from important tasks and decrease your productivity.
Negative Effects Of Digital Clutter
Having an unorganized digital space can not only decrease your productivity but it also creates stress and anxiety, as you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of digital content that needs to be sorted and organized.
And if you’ve ever had 1000 emails in your inbox after a holiday weekend, then you know exactly what stress, anxiety and overwhelm from digital clutter looks like *wink*
Tips For Digital Decluttering
Alright, already… we promised good news, didn't we? Well, simplifying your digital life can help reduce stress and overwhelm. But how?
Assess The Types Of Digital Clutter That Are Taking Up Space
Whether this space is physical (i.e. paperwork that you need to make digital), cloud storage that’s unorganized, your email inbox or something else — assess what forms of digital clutter you have + why they’re necessary.
In doing so, you not only determine a roadmap for all the areas of your digital life that need to be organized but you begin to identify why having clarity in these areas is important to you.
Organizing Your Files and Folders
When it comes to digital clutter, organizing your files and folders is one of the most important steps in the decluttering process. You can not only reduce the stress of sifting through a cluttered digital space but also make it easier to find what you need when you need it.
Creating a system that makes sense to you though, is key, as everyone's needs and preferences are different. Some people choose to organize their files by project, while others prefer to organize them by topic or even date.
Regardless of how your organizing system works, the key is that it’s intuitive to you (and anyone else who may be using it) as well as repeatable so that whether it’s been a while since your last digital organizing session or you simply need to find something, you can do so quickly.
Mirror Your Physical Filing System
One strategy that some of our full-service luxury organizing members appreciate is creating a folder hierarchy that mirrors their physical filing system.
For example, perhaps you have a "work" folder with subfolders for each project, and within each project folder, subfolders for documents, images, and other related files. Similarly, you may have a "personal" folder with subfolders for photos, music, and other digital documents like bills or statements.
If you’re looking for a fail-proof system for digital decluttering, we deep dive into our exact strategies for naming folders and all of your files in our Digital Decluttering Kit.
Utilizing Cloud Storage
Cloud storage can be a life-saver when it comes to digital decluttering + organizing your files. Not only does it allow you to store and access your files from just about anywhere but many cloud storage services also offer automatic backup and sync features, so your files are always accessible but also safe.
External Storage
External hard drives can also be useful for organizing and storing large files or media libraries. By offloading these files to an external drive, you not only free up space on your computer and keep your files organized and accessible, but you can catalog your external storage devices to easily access them when needed. This is the perfect marriage between digital storage + physical storage in your home *wink*
Create Routine Around Digital Decluttering
Much like the physical clutter in your home, digital clutter isn’t once + for all. It takes a bit of effort, routinely, to truly combat digital clutter.
Whether that’s regularly deleting old emails and unused apps, organizing your files and folders into a logical system, or setting boundaries around your screen time to reduce distractions by simply calendaring your digital decluttering time you begin to build the muscles to stay organized.
Not only will your future self thank you for taking the time to organize your digital life but you’re reducing the mental load that comes with digital clutter, allowing you to focus on the things that truly matter to you.
Be Intentional About Information In Your Digital Space
In addition to organizing your digital files and folders, being intentional about the information you allow into your digital space is another important aspect of digital decluttering.
We are bombarded with an endless stream of information, things to buy, notifications to be aware of, important emails to read + of course don’t forget you “DM’s”. And all of this can be a huge distraction from living intentionally.
Before we know it, not only are we distracted by the consciousness of it all but ultimately it leads to a lot of digital clutter.
One way to combat this is by being intentional about the information you allow into your digital space.
Start by unsubscribing from email newsletters that no longer serve you (of course we think you should keep ours *wink*). But if you find that you're deleting or more importantly simply filling most of the emails you receive from a particular sender, it's probably time to unsubscribe. This will help reduce the amount of clutter in your inbox and free up mental space.
Another way to declutter your digital space is to unfollow social media accounts that don't align with your values or interests any longer. Social media is a great way to connect with others and stay up-to-date but it can also be a major source of noise, distraction + comparison.
If you find that you're spending too much time scrolling mindlessly through your feed, consider unfollowing accounts that don't add value to your life.
Voices Lead To Choices so be really intentional, focusing on the quality of information you allow in your digital space. By reducing the noise and focusing on the content that truly matters to you, you create a more peaceful and focused digital environment. This, in turn, will help reduce stress and improve your overall well-being.
Delete Apps From Devices
Deleting unnecessary apps and programs is another crucial step in digital decluttering.
Over time, we tend to accumulate a lot of apps and programs on our digital devices that we no longer use or need. This can quickly take up valuable storage space and make it difficult to find the apps and programs we actually use on a regular basis.
To reduce digital clutter on your devices, take the time to assess the apps on your devices. Consider which ones you use frequently and which ones you haven't touched in months or dare we say, years *wink*.
Backup Digital Information
Regularly backing up important files and data is the final step in digital decluttering. Now, if you use cloud based storage understand their policy for backups. How long do they keep each backup? What does recovering a backup look like?
This step is essential to protect against data loss, corruption or simply overriding a previous backup.
Obviously, backing up digital information can be a significant source of stress and anxiety if done wrong or not done at all. So, if you’re not using cloud-based storage which automatically backs things up for you — it's important to back up your data regularly, ideally on a weekly or monthly basis depending on how frequent you use the device you’re backing up.
This will ensure that you always have a current copy of your important files and data, even if something happens to your device. It will also give you peace of mind and reduce the stress of worrying about data loss or corruption.
Digital decluttering can have a profound impact on your mental health and overall well-being. By simplifying your digital life, you create a calmer, more focused environment that allows you to be more present and engaged with the things that matter most.
Well friend, there you have it...digital decluttering is all about simplifying and streamlining! And don’t forget, if you’re in the preliminary planning stages of your next project, let’s chat.
You can also check out our Digital Decluttering Kit.
P.S. If you loved this article then you’re going to really enjoy the4 Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home.