How to Declutter your Digital World

(Definition) Clutter: a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass.

Clutter:

1. Overloads our minds with excessive stimuli.
2. Inhibits creativity and productivity.
3. Frustrates us by preventing us from locating what we need quickly.

So today we’re going to do a “digital decluttering” a la Marie Kondo!

Take a moment right now to assess your mental headspace before jumping in.

Phone / Mobile Device

1. Catch up on your unread text messages.
2. Delete any messages you will not need.
3. Declutter your alarms. You probably only need 1 or 2.
4. Declutter your notes. Delete those old grocery lists!
5. Delete any apps you do not use regularly. Remember you can always re-download the app when you need it.
6. Delete multiples of photos. Here is a list of iPhone apps that can help you locate photo duplicates!
7. Limit your screen time. On the iPhone, you can limit the time spent on specific apps or on your device in general. [How to.] Take a look at your Screen Time statistics. The time you spend on your phone will likely shock you. My daily average is 5 hours 3 minutes.
8. Disable push notifications for apps you do not need real-time updates from. How to on iPhone.

Slack / Discord / Messaging Platforms

1. Read through all unread messages.
2. Respond to any message threads you have been putting off.
3. Leave any channels that you do not participate in.
4. Consider setting up Do not Disturb mode. How to on Slack.
5. Clear any custom notifications you no longer need. How to on Slack.

Emails

1. Delete any Drafted emails you do not need.
2. Unsubscribe from services you do not want emails from. I highly recommend Unroll.me for bulk unsubscribing.
3. Delete “spam” emails in bulk. The most straight forward way I’ve found is by filtering based on sender email, for example: from: no-reply@m.mail.coursera.org, then click Select All -> Delete. Advanced Gmail Filters.