As our world becomes increasingly digitized, it is really important to consider how our digital presence is affecting our lives. Are you satisfied with the amount and type of information you are consuming online? Do you receive far more messages than you can respond to on a regular basis? Do you wish you could simplify the amount of time and energy you devote to digital items? If any of these questions resonate with you, it might be time to consider a digital declutter. It's great for your heart, soul, and even your hard drive. My digital declutter series contains 4 parts - email, files and photos, social media, and setting boundaries. Without further ado, here is Part 2 of the Digital Clutter series - Files, Photos & Apps.
Computers, tablets, and phones all have limited amounts of storage space. Each additional file downloaded slows down your device. I want to only keep items that are truly necessary and important. Files, photos, apps, and videos can quickly fill the space on your phone and slow it down as well. Here are five ways you can simplify files, photos, and apps, while also increasing the speed of your device.
1) Create Folders
One of the best ways to organize your important photos, files, and apps is to create folders. For photos, I create folders based on events. For example, I might have folders titled "Beach Trip 2021", "Lily's 3rd Birthday", and "Winter 2018". This makes it easy to search for specific pictures. I may not remember the specific month something happened, but adding words like "birthday", "beach trip", or "winter" makes it easier to find what I am looking for. I also keep folders for various files. I have a folder for homeschooling. Within this folder, I have one for each subject. Then I have additional folders within each subject. This makes it simple to quickly find exactly what I need. I also place apps into folders on my phone, such as, "Kids", "Social", and "Hobbies".
2) Plan Ahead
In order to effectively declutter items on your device, you may need to plan a specific time to do it. Designate a time to work on decluttering your digital items. Write it down on the calendar, set alarms, or pair it with one of your established habits. Spending just a few minutes will make a difference, but you may need to schedule multiple decluttering sessions in order to go through all of the files, photos, and apps on your devices. It took a lot of time to add these files to your devices. It will also take time to remove them, but I promise it's worth it!
3) Don't Stress
Don't stress when deciding which items to delete. Even if you make a mistake, files and photos can usually be restored. Apps can also be reinstalled if needed. It's not like you shredded a document and can never get it back. These items have a digital footprint and don't disappear easily. So, let them go!
4) Ditch Duplicates
When taking pictures, I usually take multiples in order to get the best possible shot. I don't always remember to delete the extras. There is no need to keep ten digital photos that are basically identical. Delete all but one and move on. If you have downloaded the same file more than once, delete the copies. One digital copy is all you need. Ditch the duplicates, and simplify your device. You'd be surprised how much space you can save with this one simple tip.
5) Uninstall Applications
How often do you download a new app someone recommended just to find out it wasn't what you thought it would be? Maybe the newest game app has too many ads or you don't need a certain restaurant app because you don't eat there anymore. If you haven't used an application in the past few months, chances are you won't need it in the future. If you don't use it, lose it. If things change, you can always download it again.
Happy Digital Decluttering!
<3 Sierra
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