THE ULTIMATE SUMMER DIGITAL DECLUTTER

Who else is in need of a digital declutter? This is one of those things that easily gets away from me especially because I’m always juggling multiple digital tasks in my day-to-day life. But when I take the time to do a full digital declutter, it INSTANTLY helps me feel so much more put together once I’ve addressed the digital chaos in my life. 

So if you’re like me and need to do a TOTAL declutter for the summer, start by looking at your devices. Yes, they may be the smaller things in your life, but they make a HUGE difference. And it will make your life feel SO much more simplified! 

Here are 10 easy steps to follow for the Ultimate Summer Digital Declutter. This guide will help you optimize your digital life while striking a balance between screen time and taking advantage of summer living. Let's fully embrace a clutter-free summer season and who knows . . . it just might increase productivity! 

EVALUATE YOUR HABITS 

To kick things off, give yourself an honest gut check. Are you happy with how much time you typically spend using devices in a day? Whatever your answer is, analyze your daily device habits and consider where you can improve or what you want to change. Set realistic goals for yourself so that you actually change up your daily device habits. And the Daily Grind Planner can be a HUGE help with this! On a daily basis, it’ll hold you accountable to any goals you want to achieve and the habits you want to incorporate in your life, including improving your digital habits.

CLEAN UP YOUR DESKTOP 

Your computer desktop is one of those spaces that instantly becomes crowded in no time! And I have my Vision Board saved to my desktop so anytime I have file folders or documents crowding my desktop wallpaper, I hate that I can’t see the cute inspo pics on my vision board! Take a quick minute to organize those loose files, condense any folders and send those files you don’t need anymore right to the trash. This is gonna be a quick task that will be SO satisfying when you’re done. Nothing beats that clean and clear desktop look!

ORGANIZE YOUR EMAIL INBOX 

I know, I know . . . this can be a pretty daunting task. But YOU CAN DO THIS! Roll up those sleeves and let’s get ready to PURGE THAT INBOX. Take small strides and go through all of those unread emails you’ve let pile up. If you gotta take it in chunks, know that any little progress is gonna make a total difference. Delete any emails you no longer need and create labels (color-coded of course!) to help you organize your emails and make your inbox look pretty if you’re saving or archiving any emails to keep on-hand.

DELETE UNUSED APPS 

We’re all guilty of having downloaded apps quickly in the moment and then never using them again. Go through and remove or completely delete any apps on your phone or tablet. Like clearing up your desktop, this is gonna free up the space on your device wallpaper AND it’ll free up a ton of storage space on your devices. Plus, having too many apps is probably going hand in hand with how much time you’re spending on those devices. If you’re looking to manage the amount of time you’re spending doom scrolling on your phone or playing games for hours on hours, try deleting these apps for a while to give yourself a break. This will help you from falling back into your device habits and will provide you with way more free time in your day!

TIDY UP YOUR PHOTO ALBUM 

You guys . .  your photo album on your devices takes up SO MUCH storage space! It’s unreal! Go through your photos and delete any duplicates, selfies, screenshots or photos that no longer provide any value to you. If you’re afraid to part with them, download them to a hard drive or save them in the iCloud to free up your album space. Also, this can be a really cool moment to take a trip down memory lane and look back on some awesome memories and adventures you’ve had! So think of this task as a declutter “to-do” that can also be a really intentional moment for reflection and gratitude. 

REVIEW DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS 

Be aware of all your subscriptions! If you have a bunch of streaming services or apps, pinpoint which ones you pay for and which ones you really don’t use or need anymore. This is a great way to save some money AND will help you feel 100% confident about the ones you’re paying for. If you have a bajillion email subscriptions that you just DO NOT need anymore, now’s the time to go through and unsubscribe from them. This will ALSO keep your email inbox simplified and organized and help you avoid falling back into having an overcrowded inbox!

PRIORITIZE OFF-LINE ACTIVITIES

We are in the heart of summer right now, and if you’re like me, I love to get outside as much as possible. It totally helps being able to do work outside when I can, but there are many moments when I wanna be outside reading, doing yoga or sitting on a patio with friends. Prioritize putting down your devices and getting outside! If being outdoors isn’t your thing, find different activities that embrace a device-free mindset! This is a HUGE opportunity for you to take time away from your screens and enjoy your environment without distractions. 

ESTABLISH DIGITAL-FREE ZONES

Determine spaces in your home or moments in your day when you can establish a "NO DEVICES" rule. I think it’s really important to avoid screen time when you’re sharing a meal with family or friends. I also think it’s crucial to establish a “no phone in bed” boundary so that you’re not looking at a screen first thing in the morning or right before you fall asleep. This is part of my morning and night routine that I hold myself accountable to so that my phone isn’t the first or last thing I see in my day. Determine what’s important to you and where you can eliminate using devices to give others your undivided attention and to give yourself a break from your screens. 

DISINFECT YOUR DEVICES 

Okay on a serious note - your devices are GROSS! You use them pretty much every single day and how often are they cleaned, really? Now’s the perfect opportunity to give your electronics a good wipe down and deep clean. This will take no time at all but disinfecting these devices is gonna give you SO much peace of mind! 

PRACTICE DIGITAL MINDFULNESS

Here’s where we put some action behind Tip #1! Be intentional about setting digital boundaries in your daily routine. Practicing mindfulness when it comes to using devices is HUGE in making sure we aren’t totally consumed in them every moment of the day. If you’re watching TV, don’t also be scrolling on your phone or tablet. Put your phone on the opposite side of the room so you don’t distract yourself while working. Set an intention to not look at your phone first thing in the morning and to set up a mindful morning routine. Hold yourself accountable and find ways you can implement digital mindfulness in your day. 

By following these tips, you can quickly and easily declutter your digital life in no time! Remember that maintaining a clutter-free digital life requires ongoing effort and regular check-ins to stay on top of things so refer back to this list whenever you need to do another digital declutter again!