Declutter Digitally to Increase Productivity

If people can Marie Kondo their way to a tidier living space, you can do the same with your digital workspace. Digital clutter can be as annoying as its physical counterpart. Putting aside papers on your desk with one sweep of your hand is easy. But organizing documents found in different folders on your computer is an entirely different headache.?

Now that almost everyone has “moved” online and prefers working remotely, digital decluttering is as essential as general housekeeping. The Philippines has shown steady growth in digitization across all industries, and companies can benefit from learning to declutter.?

Why should you do it?

Believe it or not, digital hoarding is detrimental to your health. You may think that the email you set aside because you have no time to unsubscribe is a small thing. These things pile up, and the next thing you know, hundreds of them are in your inbox. Then you would have to take time off from your real work only to clear unwanted emails.?

You will feel exhausted, irritated, overwhelmed, and, worst of all, unproductive. When it takes time for you to find one single document in your sea of folders, you lose precious work time. If you have too many apps with the same functionality and you need to take time deciding which one to use, you lose track of time. We only have a few hours a day for work, and if you spend most of it rummaging through files, you end up not doing real work at all. This proves that clutter, whether physical or digital, is a huge productivity killer.?

A recent study indicates that internet users in the Philippines increased by 2.1 million between 2021 and 2022. That also means there is a possibility of more content creators now. It’s a plethora of distractions online. Juggling work and entertainment have given us fragmented attention. It’s time to regain control over your workflow!

Digital Spaces to Declutter

Since the pandemic, there has been a big demand to be able to work remotely, not just for companies but schools as well. While not all students in our country can afford their laptops, they found a way to make use of their mobile phones. This drove the government to improve the information and communications technology industry in the Philippines. (ICT)

The current administration has expressed its intention to continue Duterte’s digital transformation program. This program includes improvement in cybersecurity, software development for business processes and better mobile and internet services through a national broadband plan.?

With the promise of better internet provider options (both local and foreign-owned), this is a huge help for the wave of digital transformation that is happening. All that information you gather online that goes into your computer and mobile phone will have to be organized regularly.?

I. Mobile Phones

1. Don’t download applications with the same function. Just retain one or two that you use often. You don’t need a lot of apps to edit one photo, right??
2. Delete photos that have been in your deleted folder for days, and don’t be tempted to restore them. You have deleted them because you don’t need them anymore. Photos take up a lot of space. Consider an external storage if you have a large photo library.?
3. Check all downloaded files and delete those that have served their purpose.?
4. If you are using your mobile phone for school, you don’t have to keep downloading files to your phone. You can store them in an online synching service like Google drive. This way, you don’t use too much storage and can access all your important files in one place.??
5. Limit your group chats on individual messaging applications. Instead, download a trusty messaging platform where you can create multiple channels, share files, and discuss with classmates or friends.?
6. As your storage becomes smaller because of clutter, your device becomes slower. You will have difficulty connecting to meetings/classes, and file sharing will be more difficult too.?

II. Computers?

1. Delete software applications that you are not using. They take up storage.?
2. Limit the programs you want to launch upon start-up. Don’t make the mistake of overwhelming yourself upon turning on your computer.?
3. Get the software that is an all-in-one solution for your equipment. There are apps that will clean, organize and repair. You will be surprised how much junk these clean-up apps remove from your machine.
4. If you support multiple clients, create a different account for all of them. So the web bookmarks are different, and you can stay focused in just one open browser.?
5. Limit the number of folders you make for your documents. You can group them into types (Word, Powerpoint Presentations, Videos, etc) or by use (School, Personal, Travel, etc.)
6. Try using the Eisenhower Matrix to help you organize your files. (Important and Urgent, Important not Urgent, Unimportant but needs focus, Unimportant and not urgent at all)
7. Name your files, so you know which are useful and that can be deleted. Sometimes files are saved multiple times with minimal changes and it creates a new file altogether. Delete duplicate files.?
8. Keep your desktop clean. Your wallpaper shouldn't be all those nasty files and folders you stored over time.?

III. Online “Work” Space

1. Unsubscribe to emails you never read. These emails multiply like crazy especially if you have been doing various transactions online. Suddenly, you’re now a subscriber to their promotional emails. Even when you delete them regularly, that time spent can add up, and you realize you spend hours a month just cleaning up your inbox.
2. Filter your emails as they get sent to your inbox. That way, you know what folder to check first.?
3. Designate a time to check emails and don’t take too long.
4. There is a concept in time management where you “handle a paper only once.” This means that if a document is put in your in-tray and you pick it up - read it, sign it, file it or pass it on to the next person who needs it.? The same should be done when you receive emails - read them, reply to them, forward them to another person if necessary, then move them to the appropriate folder. There is a big chance you will forget to “get back to it” if you don’t “handle it” immediately.
5. Declutter your bookmarks. Some of these are only a one-time use, and you forgot to unmark them.?
6. Use a password management system. This is very useful when you have a lot of websites you log in to regularly. It is very secure and reduces the risk of anyone else forgetting or accessing your login details.?
7. If you are not a business, keep your social media platforms to a minimum. Why are you on social media? Is it to find friends, create content, or blog about your day? Every platform has a specific use. Choose your weapon. If you’re going to share the same content across all platforms, and have the same friends or followers, then maybe you can do it with just one.??
8. Like junk mail, unsubscribe or unfollow accounts that spam your feed with unnecessary information. You miss out on the important ones because they have been pushed back by insignificant content.?
9. Manage browser tabs. If you have opened up a link and are done with it, close it. Browser tabs are like the old-fashioned accordion filing folder where you thumb through tabs to find a file. It’s heavy and tiring to use. That’s how your computer performance will feel with all your tabs open.?

Other Useful Tools

Make use of Project Management tools. These tools help organize your tasks, and you can attach files you need to use for a particular task. It’s your digital to-do list where you can share inputs with coworkers or classmates if needed. You can add deadlines and assign owners, which is useful, especially for shared tasks. They make online collaboration at work more efficient.

Use cloud storage for your files. This is a practical solution so you don’t use up your phone or computer storage. It allows you to access them easily, and you have more space for other files you might need to check when you can’t be online. Just make sure that you also declutter that cloud storage system regularly.?

Use data management systems that have multiple useful features in one. “UNAWA’s Digital transaction hub is a one-stop shop that can do this for you. It has a whole suite of comprehensive solutions that your company can use to transact digitally, seamlessly!?

“You can organize and manage your files, create and fill out digital forms with UNAWA SafeForm, and e-sign your documents with UNAWA SignSecure.The best part is you don’t even have to print, scan and send emails with attachments anymore. You can assign who has access, who can sign and who can approve each document. Your company can save a lot of time, and money on paper, printers, couriers and storage! And if you need documents notarized remotely, UNAWA RNotary is the way to go.”? - JiCo del Rosario , UNAWA’s Senior Accounts Manager.?

It’s Not Rocket Science

Decluttering digitally is not difficult at all. It’s simply a routine you need to develop. It should not even take more than ten minutes daily. It will take longer if you let go of your clutter and allow it to pile up. Once you have a system in place, as suggested above, you will hardly spend any time decluttering digitally. This is the same concept when it comes to keeping your home clutter-free. Both physical and digital decluttering provide a sense of accomplishment and peace of mind knowing that each item (or file) is in its own place and space.