One of my big goals this year is to declutter my home. But let’s be honest—getting started is the hardest part. I’ve decided to ease into it by starting with digital decluttering. This feels less intimidating than tackling physical items, and I know it’ll create some mental space to help me organize the rest of my life.
After some research and a few organization courses, I’ve gathered tips that I’m using—and that I want to share with you.
📷 Photos
Thanks to Casey von Stein (aka Miss Freddy), I feel like digital photo organization is something I can tackle:
✅ Choose a digital photo hub — I’m leaning toward Google Photos, but pick what works for you (Dropbox, iCloud, etc.).
✅ Forget the junk — Don’t waste time on bad photos. Focus on copying and pasting the keepers into your hub.
✅ Ignore duplicates (for now) — Don’t let duplicates slow you down initially.
✅ Back it up — Have a cloud or off-site backup so your photos are safe.
✅ Consider software help — Once you’ve organized, use a tool to clean up duplicates and sort chronologically.
👉 I’m still figuring this out and plan to lean on my tech-savvy husband to help with the tools. But I already feel more at ease knowing my photos will be safe.
📂 Paper Files to Digital Files
Neena Nandagopal recommends going paperless for most things—bank statements, bills, health records, insurance documents, and legal files.
While I still love my paper planners and notebooks (writing helps me remember!), I agree that:
- You can scan important documents.
- Set up a logical digital filing system with clear naming conventions.
- Store them securely via Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, Dropbox, or Evernote.
✨ Tip: You might not need to keep everything—like utility bills or bank statements—if they’re accessible online from the provider.
Lisa McHargue’s method for email decluttering is exactly what I do:
- Set up folders or labels for every major category of your life.
- Flag/star emails needing action.
- Once done, unflag and file into the folder.
Example: I have a folder for my electric bill—once it’s paid, I file both the bill and receipt for easy future reference.
📱 Phone
Casey (Minimalist Mom) offers a great checklist for decluttering your phone:
✅ Do an app audit—delete what you don’t use.
✅ Remove duplicate/unwanted photos.
✅ Clean up contacts.
✅ Delete old texts, browser history, bookmarks, and tabs.
✅ Clear out old alarms, downloads, voicemails, and call logs.
✅ Organize notes and turn off unnecessary notifications.
👉 Game changer! My phone feels lighter already.
💡 Final Thoughts
Although this is just a small glimpse into organizing your digital life, the benefits go way beyond quick access:
✨ Less anxiety
✨ Easier to find what you need
✨ A sense of accomplishment in a chaotic world
Here’s to cleaning up our digital lives—one file, photo, and email at a time!
💬 Are you on a digital declutter journey too? What’s your best tip? Let me know in the comments!