How to Declutter Your Digital Life & Reclaim Your Attention

Systematically reorganize your files, social media, email, and more and create more mental space for what's important to you

App callout note: Learn more about what Cal Newport can...

Learn more about what Cal Newport can teach us about decluttering our digital lives in Digital Minimalism.

Declutter documents

Use a simple hierarchy to organize your folder system.

If you use your computer for work, you can organize document files by creating a “personal” and “work” top-level folders.

Files are easiest to find if your hierarchy is simple, intuitive, and mimics how you actually work.

Declutter photos

You can download or delete Facebook albums.

Declutter music files and streaming services

Music files, organized by artist, album, and track name

Create playlists on your favorite streaming service, like Spotify, to keep your music organized.

Declutter email

Clear out your inbox

Declare inbox bankruptcy in Gmail by checking all conversations and moving them out of the inbox.

Reorganize your email

Practice good email habits

App callout note: 💡Tip: Start turning your emails into Todoist...

💡Tip: Start turning your emails into Todoist tasks with the integration for Gmail, Outlook, or other email clients, or by forwarding your email to Todoist.

Lists on Twitter can help you focus on a certain subject area.

The News Feed Eradicator plug-in lets you block your news feed on Facebook

Declutter news

Reorganize your news

Use an RSS like Feed.ly to manage how you read news.

Save your websites as tasks to a “To Read” folder using the <a href="https://www.todoist.com/inspiration/chrome-extensions">Todoist Chrome extension</a>, with a link right back to the original URL.

App callout note: 💡Tip: Find out how to easily save...

💡Tip: Find out how to easily save articles to your Todoist to read later with our Chrome extension.

Practice good news habits

Declutter apps

Keep just a few apps on the first screen of your smartphone and other, more addictive apps on the following screen(s).

Declutter passwords & accounts

App callout note: For more on staying safe and secure...

For more on staying safe and secure online, regardless of where you work from, read our Security Checklist for Remote Workers. Learn what passwords to avoid and how not to compromise your devices.

App callout note: Take more inspiration from Marie Kondo and...

Take more inspiration from Marie Kondo and tidy up your digital task manager.

Elaine Meyer

Elaine is a writer, editor, and content strategist who is interested in tech, health, and the future of work.

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