This Is The Most Useful Decluttering Project You Can Do Right Now

When you find yourself in need of a mental or emotional “reset,” it often helps to make an actual, physical change to yourself or your surroundings. (Just ask anyone who has ever changed their hairstyle after a breakup!)

In my own life, this principle comes into play whenever I’m experiencing “mental clutter.” Spending time doing some physical decluttering often helps me clear out that mental clutter, but it isn’t always feasible when I’m busy with work, meetings, and errands!

But I recently realized there was one decluttering project I could work on wherever I go, using whatever spare time I happen to have—“decluttering” my smartphone! Today I’ll be sharing a simple 4-step process you can use to declutter your phone too.

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How To Declutter Your Phone In 4 Easy Steps

Step 1 – Overhaul Your App Collection

When it comes to decluttering your phone, addressing apps is a great place to start. You can free up valuable storage space and make your phone easier to navigate at the same time!

Start by deleting apps you never use. There’s no point in keeping them on your phone if you aren’t using them, and you can always download them again in the future if you need them!

• To delete apps on iPhone: Hold down the app icon until it starts to wiggle, then click the X on the icon to delete it.
• To delete apps on Android: Open the Google Play app and tap Menu > My apps & games. Tap the app you want to uninstall, then select Uninstall.

Once you’ve deleted apps that you don’t use, you may want to reorganize the ones you’ll be keeping. You can collect similar apps together in Folders, arrange them in alphabetical order, or use any other organizational system you like!

Step 2 – Clear Out Your Photos

The great thing about having a camera on your smartphone is being able to snap a dozen pictures to get the best shot. The downside is that all twelve of those pictures will take up space on your phone until you take the time to delete them!

I can’t speak for Android users, but I know from personal experience that cleaning out photos on an iPhone can be time-consuming work! To make it easier, I downloaded an app called Flic that lets me choose which photos to delete and which to keep just by swiping left or right!

Thanks to this free app, I’ve cleared out months of duplicate photos and screenshots from my Photos app in a matter of minutes. (The free version limits you to 100 photos a day, but you can unlock unlimited swiping for just a few dollars!)

Step 3 – Turn Off Push Notifications

Push notifications can be a huge source of distraction. And how many of those notifications do you really need, aside from the ones about calls or texts? Consider turning off unnecessary push notifications to make your phone less distracting.

• Turn off notifications on iPhone: Open Settings > Notifications. Select an app to turn off or adjust its notification settings.
• Turn off notifications on Android: Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications > App notifications.

Step 4 – Manage Your Screen Time

If your phone is a distraction for you throughout the day, try managing your own screen time. If you’re like me, you might be a bit shocked when you see just how much time you actually spend on your phone! Certain apps can make this process easy.

For iPhone users, iOS now offers a Screen Time function you can choose to turn on. It tracks how many notifications you get, the number of times you pick up your phone per day, and more.

Seeing these numbers can help you make smart choices about how often you use your phone and what you use it for. To check out Screen Time, go to Settings > Screen Time.

For Android users running Android One, the Digital Wellbeing offers many of the same features as Screen Time. You can access it at Settings > Digital Wellbeing to check your phone usage, set timers, and more.

So there you have it, a simple 4-step process to declutter your phone and your digital world! Give it a try in the coming weeks and experience just how freeing the act of digital decluttering can be! :-)

Do you have any tips for avoiding or controlling digital clutter?