Spring Cleaning – But Make It Digital

Every spring, we do the usual: open the windows, clear out the closets, and wonder how we acquired 17 pairs of nearly identical black socks. But while you’re busy dusting shelves and asking if that sweater still sparks joy, there’s a major mess you’re probably overlooking—your digital life.

Yes, we’re talking about the chaotic underbelly of your devices. The 3,418 unread emails (ewww I would NEVER). The apps you downloaded during your “I’m gonna learn Italian” phase. That folder named “Stuff” with subfolders “More Stuff” and “FINALfinal_FINAL_2-PR.”

Time to clean it up. Here’s your step-by-step guide to decluttering your digital world before it becomes self-aware and judges you.

You don’t need to read every email. You don’t even need to open every email. But you do need to stop pretending you’ll get to that newsletter from 2019.
Start by searching for “unsubscribe.” It’s a magical word that leads you to all the mailing lists you’ve somehow ended up on—from that one candle store you visited once to a brand that thinks you’re still into toe socks. No judgment.

Pro tip: Use a tool like Clean Email or Unroll.Me to mass unsubscribe while sipping coffee like the productivity wizard you are.

Scroll through your phone. If you don’t remember what an app does—or if it’s been hiding on the last screen like it owes you money—it’s time to let it go.

Yes, this means goodbye to that meditation app you used once during a layover in Denver. Your storage space (and your mental space) will thank you.

If your desktop looks like a virtual junk drawer, now’s the time to sort. Put files into folders. Name things like a grown-up (no more “Untitled-1.docx”). Delete screenshots of memes from 2021. Or at least move them to a folder labeled “Important Memes,” because priorities.

Bonus: You’ll be able to find things again, which is a nice change of pace.

If you’re still using “password123” or the name of your first pet + birth year, we need to have a talk. Your digital security deserves better.

Use a password manager like LastPass. They generate strong, random passwords, so you don’t have to keep that sticky note under your keyboard (you know the one).

We love a good sunset, too, but do you really need all 27 attempts? Time to Marie Kondo your camera roll.

Delete duplicates, blurry shots, and that accidental photo of your foot. Then, back everything up—to the cloud, an external drive, or both. Because losing photos hurts more than stepping on a LEGO.

If your phone buzzes whenever someone likes your comment or your fridge sends a humidity report (yes, that’s a thing now), it’s time to rethinc your notifications.

Turn off the non-essentials. Keep the stuff that actually matters—like calendar reminders and messages from your mom asking if you’ve eaten.

Decluttering your digital life is weirdly satisfying. So, give your devices the spring cleaning they deserve. They’ve been carrying your chaos long enough. And who knows? With a cleaner digital space, you might just have the clarity to finally learn Italian … or at least delete the app.