Top tips is a weekly column where we highlight what’s trending in the tech world today and list ways to explore these trends. This week, we’re discussing a few ways you can have a clean, minimalistic digital life.
Have you ever wanted to Marie Kondo your digital life? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
Let’s be honest. We spend more time online than offline, even though we’d like to believe otherwise. It’s just as important to keep your digital life clutter-free as it is to keep your physical spaces clean. After all, aren’t we staring at screens most of the time?
1. Keep your desktop and task bar clean and minimalistic
The first thing you see when you log in to your laptop is your desktop, so it’s essential to keep it clean and minimalistic to avoid feeling overwhelmed by clutter. As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind.
Keep only the essential apps you use daily on your task bar. That way you don’t have to sift through applications to find frequently used apps like a to-do list or calendar. Remove any apps that aren’t part of your daily routine.
For your desktop, avoid saving files there. Instead, move them to specific folders. If you use the same device for work and personal life, create separate folders for each. By default, MacBooks save screenshots to the desktop, but you can easily change this by going to the screenshot tool, clicking Options, and selecting your preferred save location.
2. Organize your emails
I dread a cluttered inbox. It overwhelms me, and I often miss important emails that require attention.
Sorting out emails requires a system. Start by using email filters. You can filter important or urgent emails that need immediate attention. After reading an email, if it requires a response, move it to a folder labeled Respond or flag it for easy identification. Use whatever method works best for you. Organizing your inbox this way will help you stay on top of things and avoid missing responses. For emails that don’t need your attention, archive them.
Always follow this process: read, move or tag, respond, and archive. If you receive a lot of emails daily, this system will keep your inbox organized and make your life easier.
3. Limit your browser to 5 tabs or fewer
We all know someone who keeps dozens of tabs open in their browser, making it impossible to find a single one. Or maybe you are that person. Either way, it’s time to break the habit.
Don’t overload your browser with tabs. Periodically close any you aren’t using. Aim to have five or fewer tabs open at once to keep things tidy. You can bookmark tabs you might want to revisit, but make sure to clear out your bookmarks regularly to remove anything unnecessary. I’ve been guilty of bookmarking sites for years, only to realize later that I no longer need them.
4. Organize your photos
This is a big one. My photo app is always cluttered. Between screenshots, downloaded images, and disorganized photos, it’s nearly impossible for me to find what I’m looking for. If I want to show someone a photo, I will look for it, but I often give up and say, “I’ll show it to you later.” My only hope of finding a photo is guessing the month or year it was taken. While photo apps now offer innovative ways to search, they won’t help you organize your collection based on events.
When you’re bored or have idle time, start organizing your photos into folders and delete any you no longer need. This will make your photo app look cleaner and make it easier to find specific photos.
5. Maintain a minimalistic home screen
Another tip is to keep your phone’s home screen minimalistic. Only keep apps you regularly use on the home screen and organize other apps on different screens. If you don’t use an app, delete it. A minimalistic home screen will look neat and, like a clean desktop, help prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. It might even reduce your screen time.
If you struggle with a social media addiction, try following Cal Newport’s advice from Digital Minimalism: “By removing social media apps from your phone and only using these services on your computer’s web browser, you make them more difficult to access, which means you’re less likely to use them mindlessly.” Not only will this help keep your phone minimalistic but it will also reduce doomscrolling. Two birds, one stone!
A final word
Cluttered digital spaces aren’t good for our eyes—or our lives. Just like our physical spaces, our digital spaces require regular cleaning. Being mindful and keeping things organized will save you time and energy. We’d love to hear any tips you use to keep your digital spaces clutter-free. Let us know in the comments below!
