Alright, you may have tackled the clutter in your closet or plight in your pantry, but what about the chaos on your computer?  Your ever-growing email inbox?  The photos on your phone?  You all know what I’m talking about...that little red bubble indicating the number of notifications we have for an app that just seems like it’s constantly growing.  Believe it or not, this adds to our stress level more than we realize.  So, how on earth do we tackle our technology?

Lucky for you,  I’ve got 8 tips and tricks to help you declutter your devices!

1. Edit your phone contacts.  Take a look at your contacts and update any changes - maybe a friend has gotten married, so why not take a few minutes to update their last name. If someone has a new phone number be sure to delete their old one.  While you’re at it, delete any old contacts you come across that you no longer need!

2. Delete apps that you don’t use.  Look at the apps on your phone, tablet, computer, etc. and delete any that you don’t need.  You’ll be amazed at how many apps you didn’t even know you had because you never open them!

3. Modify your notification settings.  Go into Settings > Notifications on your phone and turn off notifications for apps that you don’t want to see pop up on your home screen.  You may think you need to be notified about every little thing, but it’s really nice to turn off notifications for a lot of your apps and then set times throughout your day to go in and check them.  For instance, maybe you turn off your Instagram notifications and instead just check what’s going on once in the morning and another specified time in the evening.  This will eliminate constantly checking various notifications on your phone and seeing only the ones you really need.

4. Arrange and back-up your photos.  There are many platforms for doing this so use whichever ones fits best for you!  One option is to utilize OneDrive (there is a charge for this, but you will more than make up for it with your newfound sanity) which automatically uploads every photo you take on your phone to your computer, organizing them into folders by month.  Another option is to use Google Photos (this one is free!), which automatically uploads your photos to your Google Drive.

5. Clean out files on your computer.  Delete any old files you no longer need, and create folders to organize the files you have.  This will make your life so much easier when you’re trying to find a file you have!

6. Organize your email folders.  Make folders to categorize your emails and clear up your inbox a bit.  You can also utilize filters in your settings to automatically disperse emails into certain folders.  For example, if you receive an email from “Contact X” then put in “Folder Y.”

7. Utilize email templates.  Create various signatures as email templates (or use an email template service!) for frequently used email responses.

8. Take a look at your social media. Look at who you follow and unfollow anyone who doesn’t encourage positivity in your life. If you can’t unfollow them for some reason, try muting them so they won’t show up in your feed. YOU are amazing and should not let any one or thing make you feel otherwise!

Now that we’ve decluttered some of our devices, let’s take a look at some apps that can help make our lives a little easier!

Suggested Apps to Tidy Your Technology:

• Dashlane (free) - Organize your passwords by keeping them unique and secure.  For a small annual fee, you can also organize your passwords across your devices.

• Home Routines ($4.99) - Create routine checklists and complete tasks daily or on a chosen day of the week.  This app keeps your email, calendar and to-do lists clutter free by keeping a list of recurring chores for daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly and even seasonal occurrences.

• My Fitness Pal (free) - Organize your health by logging daily workouts, meals and water intake.  The graphs and charts allow you to track your progress and see how much you are eating/drinking each day.

• Smart Cleaner (free) - Easily identify similar or duplicate photos to help clear up your storage.

• Unroll.me (free) - See ALL of your email subscriptions (ones you didn’t even know you had!) and easily unsubscribe from ones you no longer need.

• Wunderlist or Cozi (free) - Organize and share your to-do list, grocery and any other household or work lists with others. This will help keep you focused and ensure everyone is on the same page. Maria uses Cozi to share grocery and to-do lists with her husband, but also keeps her packing checklists handy which saves SO much time when prepping for a trip.

Set aside just a few minutes this week to try at least one of these tips and watch as your stress level starts to lighten!

Want some tips on how to declutter your home screen and organize your apps? Interested in learning a few ways to SERIOUSLY decrease your paper clutter? We’ve got you covered!

The Baer Minimalist helps busy families create ORGANIZED + STYLIZED spaces throughout Indianapolis. She thrives on helping her clients cut the clutter so they can get back to doing the things in life that really matter!

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