Clearing digital clutter can be like pulling teeth, no one really is interested in doing it. And because digital clutter often lies out of sight out of mind it can create big problems. But there is strong evidence that taking steps to organize your digital life can have positive ripple effects on our mental health. I can admit that when I was able to organize and create a photo album from piles of inherited photos I felt overwhelming relief. Now my photo clutter has turned into a slim photo book that I can share with family.

Is clearing digital clutter even necessary?

Emilio and I noticed several years ago that our Google Drive storage capacity kept expanding year after year which started to set off alarm bells in our minds. It’s true that each year our business and our personal lives grow in new areas and with new content, but we were in denial about what files were actually necessary.

If you were to stop right now and think to yourself – is everything in your digital life necessary? Are you paying for storage space that may not needed just to avoid clearing digital clutter? If the answer is yes, we have some simple strategies for you below. If the answer is no, you can still benefit from reading the strategies to help prevent digital clutter from piling up in the future.

Clearing digital clutter to clear your head

We have worked with many clients who contacted us because their digital clutter. Their clutter was negatively impacting the way they worked, their sleep, and their inability to find things when they needed them. First I just want to share that there is no shame in having a lot of digital clutter.

Think about it, there isn’t a lot of education coming out about how to manage the files we create and use everyday. Smartphone companies more than happy to show you all the ways in which you can take photos, share documents, download apps. However, they don’t share in the fine print you could end up buried in digital clutter. That’s why we’ve created a list of strategies to help you mitigate those pitfalls.

6 Simple strategies for clearing digital clutter

1. Unsubscribe – this is directly talking about email clutter and not only to do you want to address what’s already in your inbox, but you want to prevent more from coming in. We have helped clients who have had over 10 000+ unread emails in their inbox – this isn’t uncommon. We recommend always finding a solution that works for you, but there are free services to help you unsubscribe and paid versions like Unroll.me and Mailstrom.

2. Inventory your devices – as the years go by you may notice that you have more places where digital clutter could be living. Take a moment with a piece of paper and a pen to make an inventory list of where things exist. For example, external hard drives, cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive, desktops, smartphones, cameras, laptops, tablets, etc. Once you have this list compiled it will be a lot easier to consolidate digital clutter and also to decide if all devices are still relevant.

3. Recycle old electronics – many times we come across clients who have closets and boxes full of old computers, devices, and phones. Often the hesitation with old electronics are fears of people hacking data or files off of the old electronics. If this is the case make steps to clear those devices and get those devices to a drop off location where they can be properly disposed of. Our electronics are filled with resources – everything from glass and plastic to gold, silver, copper and palladium – that need to be recovered and recycled and it’s never been easier to do so. Just type your postal code and find a spot near you.

4. Make a photo plan – they’re so easy to take, yet can be so difficult to decide what to do with! What do you really want from your photos? There are many ways that you can preserve those photo memories and not too long ago. It’s a great idea to clear your phone and start fresh. Set an intention for why and how you take your photos and they less likely to create frustrations in the future.

5. Book a yearly digital purge – this is Emilio and I’s favourite solution for keeping digital clutter to a minimum. Yes, it’s true, even professional organizers accumulate digital clutter! Every year between Christmas and the New Year we schedule 6 hours to go through our Google Drive and declutter. It’s a tedious task, but the relief we feel after completion is priceless. We know where our files are, we let go of what’s no longer relevant, and we often finish feeling inspired for the year ahead. The blocking off in our calendars keeps us accountable to getting it done and we protect that appointment as if it was booked with our doctors.

6. Try a digital detox – we have personally experienced taking an extended break from using digital devices and witnessed dramatic changes in how we use the devices upon returning. It’s a great idea to take a break, if even for half a day, from your devices to see how it feels to not have that distraction.

You have the power to turn it off

To conclude I can honestly say that when the overwhelm starts to bare down on me it’s a relief to know that there is a power switch on every device. Don’t hesitate to do a factory reset if that’s what you think could help. Humans have survived centuries without a digital life and my grandma would say that she didn’t miss out on any joy in life because she didn’t have a smartphone or computer, ever. All you need is love.