The digital space has become an essential part of our lives. We use it for work, socializing, learning, and many other purposes. But with so much information, files, apps, and spam, it can quickly become overwhelming. Therefore, it’s essential to be organized and declutter regularly. Not to mention that this will help you stay focused and productive if you’re pursuing a career as a digital nomad or you work from home. So, here are 6 tips for decluttering your digital space.
No. 1 One of the top 6 tips for decluttering your digital space is to set up a logical system
It would be best if you approached decluttering your digital space the way you would approach spring cleaning. For example, when decluttering your home, you usually go through every room and make piles of things you wish to keep, donate, and throw out. This process helps you have a more productive space. And the same thing applies to your digital area. You must go through every folder and file to determine what to keep and delete.
Then, you should also set up a logical organizing system. Nobody likes searching for a specific document on the entire hard drive. So, setting up a system that works best for you is essential. Use folders and subfolders in a logical order. For example, you can create two big folders: personal and work. Then, you can start creating subfolders by client name, year, month, project, or whatever makes sense to you. Having easy access to all the files you need will help you stay productive while you work.
No. 2 Sort your photos
Remember those days when you could only take a few photos on vacation because of the limitations imposed by photographic film? Well, those days are long gone. Nowadays, we take hundreds of photos everywhere we go. And while these are beautiful reminders of the places we’ve visited and various life events, they can also generate digital clutter. You should first go through your photos and delete any duplicates, blurry photos, photos you don’t like, and funny images from the internet that have no sentimental value. What remains are the essential photos you want to keep. And since they are very precious, it’s best to move them to cloud-based storage or an external hard drive. Plus, it would help if you organized them into albums so you could find them more quickly and remember when you took them.
No. 3 Sort your music
Unless you are a DJ, you no longer need to download music on your electronic devices. You can simply create an account on platforms like Youtube or Spotify. Here, you can create playlists and organize your music however you like. So, save up some storage space on your devices by deleting music files.
No. 4 Remove tools you don’t use
One of the top 6 tips for decluttering your digital space is to remove tools you don’t use. So, go through your phone and computer and assess every software and app. If you find any tools that you’ve downloaded and used only once or twice, uninstall them. This will not only free up some space but also make your device work better and faster.
No. 5 Clean up your email
Reading emails takes up a lot of our time. Every day we receive dozens of work and personal emails; therefore, decluttering is essential. The first thing you have to do is unsubscribe from any newsletters you don’t read. The second step is organizing your emails into key folders. You only have to sort them or group them by the sender, then move them into the dedicated folder. And you can apply this strategy to both your business and personal email.
No. 6 Declutter your social media accounts
Social media has become a big part of our lives. But while it has many benefits, it’s also very time-consuming. Not to mention that it distracts you, thus making you less productive at work. Of course, one way to avoid this is by deleting your social media accounts. But this might be a bit extreme for many of us. So, here’s what you can do:
- Review your notifications and turn off any non-essential ones. This will help you stay focused during your business hours.
- Unfollow any accounts that don’t offer you valuable information. You can even unfollow friends who constantly spam you.
- Delete or leave any social media groups that are no longer relevant to you.
Some advice
Working from home has become very popular in the last few years. And people generally enjoy it due to the more relaxed work setting. Nevertheless, it can be hard to stay focused when you’re at home. You might get distracted by various house chores or by your kids coming home early from school. Therefore, apart from decluttering your digital space, you should also look for other ways to stay productive.
And a good solution, in this case, is setting up a great home office. Choose a quiet area in your home where you can concentrate. Make sure you have a lot of light; otherwise, you risk falling asleep on the job. If possible, place your desk next to a window so you have access to natural light and fresh air. Invest in a comfortable chair because you’ll likely spend many hours in it. And nothing is more distracting than back pain. And finally, make sure you keep it as organized and clutter-free as your digital space.
Final thoughts
You can think of your digital space as your second home. After all, you spend most of the day there. And just like your home, you should keep your digital space tidy at all times. Just think about how distracting it is to see a desktop full of unused files. So, apply these 6 tips for decluttering your digital space. This will certainly improve your work productivity, and it will help you save time. Furthermore, you should do this regularly for more efficient results.
