Applying Minimalism to Email and Social Media

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We’ve talked about cleaning out digital clutter earlier in this series. It’s a topic that deserves a post of its own. We spend so much of our time online, emailing, and using digital devices that we’re bound to find we can sometimes become overloaded.

However, this type of clutter can be easy to dismiss. It lurks in the background of our daily lives, but its negative effects are just as real as those of the clutter we see every day. Read on to discover ways to apply minimalism to email, social media, apps, and other digital resources.

Clean Up Your Desktop

If you use your computer or laptop regularly, the first thing you encounter is the desktop. This area can become packed with icons, making it difficult to find what you need when you need it. It can also be overwhelming to view the clutter of icons each time you turn on your computer. Try to delete all but the most essential desktop icons and hide your bottom bar in order to cut back on distractions.

You can even use a site like Canva to create a custom desktop layout that makes it easy to maintain a clean, beautiful desktop.

Organize Your Files

Organizing the files you keep on your computer can eliminate the temptation to store things on your desktop. You can make a big dent simply by taking time to delete the files you don’t need. Next, consider archiving or sending seldom-used files and programs to a storage server or cloud. Create folders for categories of files to make things easier to find. Repeat this process regularly in order to keep things manageable.

Pare Down Your Apps

Apps take up a lot of room on your phone, along with space in your brain. If you’re flipping through screens of apps to find what you’re looking for, chances are good that you could stand to delete some. Get rid of the apps you no longer use. Set up folders for ones you access occasionally. Consider using the mobile browser for things you only need once in a while. This will clear up lots of space.

Unsubscribe From Email Lists

How many times have you ordered something online, only to end up on their email list and still getting promo emails a year later? You get your day started, check your email. and realize it’s 90% junk with a few actually important emails hidden in the mess? Unsubscribe to the emails that you haven’t shopped at in awhile, which will make your minimalist life even easier!

Clear Out Contacts

What about your contacts? It’s rare we actually stay in touch with everyone in our contact list. Delete the ones you don’t recognize or won’t need. Add people you contact frequently to your favorites.

Turn Off Notifications

Turning off your notifications will cut down on a lot of unnecessary distractions. Feel free to keep alerts for your banking and phone calls. The rest are likely just clutter.

Limit Social Media

Social media can be an incredible time suck. Figure out which platforms are most useful to you and dedicate the bulk of your social media free time to those. All those Facebook groups? Cut down the ones you don’t need anymore. Also, take some time to determine which of your friends and followers are truly adding something to your life. Be ruthless and delete or unfollow those that aren’t. You’ll feel much lighter after doing so.

Applying minimalism to digital resources is about taking control of your time and your focus. Hopefully, these tips will help you to feel in control of your digital use and get more joy out of your screen time.