Organizing versus Decluttering (your technology)

In the minimalist world, you hear the word declutter a lot — but organize? Not as much. And there’s a good reason for that.

You always — always — need to declutter before you organize. Why? Because if you try to organize first, you’re just neatly arranging chaos.

I used to take pride in being the “Chaos Coordinator” of my life — a title I quite literally earned. A former boss even gifted me a plaque for my desk with those exact words. At the time, it fit. I was juggling multiple jobs, raising three kids, working on my degree, and just trying to hold onto my sanity.

But here’s the thing: being a Chaos Coordinator isn’t a badge you have to keep wearing forever. Decluttering taught me that. When you clear the unnecessary first, you create space for what truly matters — and suddenly, “coordinating chaos” becomes a lot less necessary.

It took a little while before I realized that coordinating the chaos was not helping my resumé; it was only making me frazzled. One day, I realized that I wanted fewer things to organize, so I knew it was time to take a look at all the clutter that was boxing me in. Here are the areas where I knew I needed to downsize the clutter:

1. physical clutter

2. digital clutter

3. emotional clutter

4. calendar clutter

If you're like me, you could pick any of these areas to begin and have a lifetime worth of stuff to get rid of, but I promise, it really isn't as hard as you think.

For the sake of time, let’s focus only on digital clutter today because if you're like me, this is the one area of my life I really need to declutter and organize! (If you missed my earlier posts on reducing physical clutter, go back and give them a read—you’ll find plenty of helpful tips there!) Digital clutter impacts us more than we realize. Between our phones, tablets, laptops, and even smartwatches, we’re constantly being bombarded with dings, pings, and notifications demanding our attention. But here’s the question: do we really need to see every single one of them?

Don’t get me wrong—technology is incredible! It connects us, helps us work more efficiently, and keeps our lives running smoothly. But if we’re not careful, it can also become a source of stress, distraction, and overwhelm. That’s why it’s so important to take intentional steps to “declutter” and organize our digital lives.

Here are a few practical ways to keep digital clutter under control:

Tame Your Notifications

Go into your device settings and turn off non-essential notifications. Do you really need to know the second someone “likes” your post? Probably not. Keep only the alerts that truly matter.

Organize Your Apps

Delete apps you never use, and group the ones you keep into folders. This makes your home screen less overwhelming and saves you time searching.

Declutter Your Inbox

Unsubscribe from newsletters you never read, and create folders or labels to keep important emails sorted. Better yet, set aside specific times to check email instead of letting it constantly interrupt your day.

Clean Up Your Files and Photos

Regularly move documents and photos into organized folders, and back them up to the cloud or an external drive. Delete duplicates and things you no longer need.

Be Intentional With Social Media

Ask yourself: Does this platform add value to my life? If not, take a break or consider deleting the app altogether. Even small boundaries can free up mental space.

Digital clutter may be invisible, but its effects are very real. By taking a little time to tidy up our devices, we can create more room for focus, peace, and productivity. Think of it as spring (or fall) cleaning for your digital life—you’ll be surprised how much lighter you feel!