Sometimes, we forget about decluttering out digital paperwork because it’s not visible. We don’t carry it around, it doesn’t collect dust, and with the right keyword, it’s easy to find. But accumulating apps, emails, and files on your cell phone can still add stress to your life. Digital clutter is sneaky like that.

 

What Does Digital Clutter Look Like?

 

—  Too many games

—  Too many apps

—  Too many drafts

—  Too many voice mails

—  Too many unanswered texts

—  Too many notifications

 

Life is very messy. We can’t control what happens. But we can reduce our stress by minimizing the noise in our lives. Digital clutter is one of those noises.

 

Steps to Minimizing Your Digital Clutter

 

1. Delete every single game on your phone, unless it greatly adds to your happiness.
2. Delete every unnecessary app on your phone, unless it greatly adds to your happiness.
3. Delete emails if they are not important.
4. File emails if they are important.
5. Turn off all notifications. (When you have time to check email, you will see new emails. You don’t need to be notified of every single email.)

 

 

Organize your apps into categories:

 

—  Entertainment: games, fun apps

—  Important: your bank, credit card, find your iPhone

—  Utilities: calculator, dictionary, notes

—  Communication: text messages, email, Face Time

—  Photos: photos, photo apps, camera

—  Social Media: social media

 

What’s Unnecessary & Why Shouldn’t You Keep Unnecessary Apps?

 

Unnecessary apps would include anything that you don’t use every day. Do you use your NPR app every day? What about your BitMoji? Do you need it? Can you log in through your phone Internet browser instead, or do you need a McDonald’s app?

 

Every item—physical and digital—that we see accumulates in our brains. Visually, we become over stimulated. We need to clear that visual clutter—whether it is physical or digital—from our minds. Every app you have, every half completed email, every saved voicemail, every notification buzzing in your face is a reminder that you have so much to do. Everything becomes a task. Every uncompleted task adds to our stress. So, get rid of the task all together, since an app and notifications are not necessary tasks to complete in our lives.

 

What is Important?

 

Phone calls, text messages, emails, and news reports can be important. But not every single phone call, text message, email, or news report is important. So, you don’t need to see every single digital reminder every minute of the day, unless you look forward to a mental breakdown. Our minds can’t handle constant technological stimulation in an world that is already demanding so much of our attention and time.

 

If you can’t turn off your phone or computer, at least you can reduce the ways they constantly demand your attention and time.

 

Declutter. Delete. Organize. And live life in the real world.

 

 

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