Most people regularly (or at least semi-regularly) go through their stuff and declutter. We donate old clothes, we throw away broken items around the house, we host yard sales to sell off those things that we no longer want or need. It can feel cleansed and refreshing! So why should our digital clutter be any different?
Plus, eliminating digital clutter can have another benefit: reduced anxiety.
With everyone online account you have, with every device you own, your cyber security decreases. It’s great that you’re watching out for phishing and got strong, unique passwords on all your accounts, but what’s even more helpful to your cyber security—and your peace of mind—is cleaning things up!
Start with devices.
Erase all of your old devices that you’re no longer using. Does that old phone you’re keeping as a backup still have personal information on it? What about an old laptop that you no longer use? Erase them! Do you have old USB drives with information sitting around? Remove the information! What about old CDs or that box of floppy disks you still have from years ago? Destroy those as well! Fewer devices means less to keep track of and therefore less stress!
Look at old accounts & emails.
Think about old email accounts (AOL, anyone?). If you have any old emails that you don’t use anymore, delete them! Can you think of any online apps or accounts that you may have entered your credit card information into but no longer use? Delete those too!
And now look into your current email… Are there are emails you’re saving in there with sensitive information? Save them, put them on a USB drive, and get them off your email and your computer!
Now, where is your information being backed up to?
There are so many different cloud servers out there now… are you using any of them? Are your photos being backed up to multiple places? Delete them!
And organize what’s left!
For example, take a look at your computer desktop… how many icons do you see? If it’s more than just a few, it’s time for a little clean up. If they’re important files, stick them in a folder, if you’re never going to use them again, then in the trash they go! Organize everything in a way that you’ll be able to easily find everything you need in the future!
Turning on your computer and seeing fewer icons can not only be more relaxing, but it can lead to less distraction and temptation.
And now that you’ve got everything all cleaned up, you can finally relax in your clutter-free home with your clutter-free devices. Although, now that you’ve got a little extra room on your phone, there’s one app you might want to download, one that will actually help you. Check it out here!