How to declutter your digital life

It’s easy to spend hours sifting through your wardrobe and sorting clothes into keep, donate and discard piles. Or, dedicate an entire afternoon to organising your kitchen drawers and culling all those useless utensils and appliances you never use. But what about your digital life?

The average person owns 3.64 devices, which means there’s a whole lot of virtual space to clutter up. As well as being oh so convenient, what so many people don’t realise is that devices could be dragging you down. From slow load times to a constant sense of distraction, here’s our device owners guide to decluttering your digital life.

Delete unused apps

It’s ridiculously easy to clutter up your computer with applications, and the reality is that most of them are only used once or twice. Put things into perspective by figuring out which applications you use, and which ones you don’t. If you use a PC check the download info to see when you last used the application. Then delete what you don’t need. Macs are even easier, as you can simply organise applications by date last opened.

Part with apps that don’t serve you

Look at each app you own, and ask yourself if it serves you. For example, if you hate the fact that you spend over an hour each day mindlessly scrolling through your Facebook feed it could be an incentive to delete it for good. If you have three different weather apps, choose one and get rid of the others. If can’t get enough of Candy Crush but want to quash your addiction, pull the trigger and delete it for good.

Take out the trash

Did you know that when you delete a document or application it doesn’t necessarily disappear? Often, it’s just sent to the trash which means it’s still lurking around. Solve this problem by regularly emptying your virtual trash and saying goodbye to unwanted data for good. The same goes for images on a phone. As well as hitting delete, you’ll also need to manually tap the trash button to confirm that you want to permanently remove the images.

Desktop detox

From photos to word documents, it’s too easy to pin things to your desktop and leave them there. In a matter of weeks, it can get chaotic. Not to mention slow down your computer. Once a month take the time to sweep all your icons into a single folder, then chronologically sort through each one to determine what to keep, and what to delete.

Facebook purge

Honestly, do you really want to know what your sister’s best friend’s husband who you’ve met once is up to every time you scroll through your feed? Didn’t think so. That’s where Facebook’s ‘unfollow’ function comes in handy. Simply click on the arrow next to their name and click ‘unfollow.’ You’ll remain friends but their updates won’t appear on your feed. And don’t worry, they won’t be notified!

Outsmart your smartphone

Ever wondered why your iPhone has three different home screens? Because Apple is a stickler for organisation! Simply dedicate homescreen one to apps you use all the time, homescreen two to apps you use sometimes and allocate everything else to homescreen three. Easy, and effective!

Say NO to notifications

Chimes, beeps, flashes… notifications can be a nightmare. Give yourself permission to disconnect by saying no to mobile notifications. They can be so distracting, and can really take away from social situations. Instead, restrict yourself to checking your notifications once every hour or so. Ask yourself – do you really need an update every time you receive yet another advertising email, or if someone mentions you in a comment on Facebook? Chances are, the answer is NO.

Disconnect from digital

Devices can be all consuming, and it’s far too easy to become attached at the hip to your smartphone, tablet or PC. Once a week, try taking a step back from your digital life and simply living in the real world. It can be hard at first, but after a week or so you may really come to treasure your digital detox day.

Do you have any tested tips on how to detox your digital life? We’d love to hear them, so feel free to share in the comments section below!