I've been an administrator in some form or another for longer than I care to admit.

Back when I worked in an office I was known for being one of those people who always had an impossibly tidy desk. Not even a single paperclip out of place. I wasn’t able to put my finger on why I didn’t like a messy desk, but I knew something about a cluttered workspace made me feel weighed down. I couldn’t do my best work when my things were in disarray. 

I’ve come to realise that it’s not just me. There are loads of us out there who work best in a clutter-free space. In the old days, that used to mean keeping our in trays, filing cabinets and desk drawers organised and orderly. Now that many of us work digitally, that means keeping our devices and digital workspaces clutter-free. 

But that’s easier said than done. Not everyone has the time, skills or motivation to tackle a digital decluttering project by themselves. That’s why it’s becoming the most in-demand service I offer in my Virtual Assistant business. I help people get to grips with decision-making on what to let go of, what to keep and how to sort and store what stays.

What is digital clutter?

It’s easiest to start by thinking about clutter in its physical form. Stuff. Things. Objects. Think about when you’ve experienced clutter in your home. You’re probably picturing things that aren’t in their right place. Forgotten items you didn’t know you had, things you used to need but don’t anymore, stuff plonked in the wrong spot in a hurry because you weren’t sure what else to do with it. Often clutter just sort of plies up without us really noticing. 

Digital clutter is exactly the same - just in digital form. Think of the thousands of old emails you never refer back to but are saving ‘just in case’. Think of the hundreds of digital photos you’ve backed up from your phone that you keep meaning to get around to sorting. Think of the files and folders jumbled on your disorganised desktop. This is digital clutter.

Where do I start with digital decluttering?

The good news is this isn’t like clearing out your closet or rifling through your kitchen junk drawer. You don’t have to turf everything out and make a mess of your house to do some digital decluttering.

Start small. Pick one thing - it could be your inbox, your desktop, your photos, your phone contacts - and spend 5 minutes going through it. Little by little, you’ll be surprised at how much progress you can make. 

Or if you’re feeling inspired and want to jump into a digital decluttering project with a big impact, you could try decluttering your social media. 

Imagine how it would feel to turn down the ‘noise’ from being ever-present online. How does this sound? Fewer posts to create, schedule and monitor, fewer logins and passwords for fewer profiles, fewer tabs open, and fewer notification pings when your posts get engagement. Sound tempting? Here’s how you can do it.

1. If you have a presence on multiple platforms consider cutting a couple out - or at least try muting them for a bit. Keep only what works for you and ditch what doesn't. You don't have to be on all the platforms all the time.

2. Unfollow, unfriend and un-connect from contacts that are no longer meaningful to you. Don’t hold onto connections just to boost your numbers - a smaller, more engaged community is much more fulfilling and productive than an enormous but detached following.

3. Mute notifications. It’s instant messaging, not instant replying. You don’t have to be available all the time. Those likes, comments and DMs will still be there when you’re ready. 

To put it simply, a cluttered digital workspace can make a hard day at work even harder. Being intentional about keeping clutter at bay will help you re-assert control over your time, attention and focus. And don’t forget, Virtual Assistants are a dab hand at this sort of thing so call in the experts to get your digital decluttering off to a flying start.