How to: "Get your digital life organized"

I have been meaning to share a post on how to organize your phone and laptop, because I know digital clutter is something many of us struggle with. Digital organization plays a big role in our daily lives: when our devices are cluttered, productivity drops and stress increases. Just like organizing our homes, decluttering digitally helps us feel clearer and more in control.

These are some simple steps to help you organize your phone and laptop:

Iphone Storage Screen

Step 1: Start with digital declutter:

This means getting rid of apps and information that no longer serve you. Start simple:

• Delete unused apps in your phone. If you have an Iphone: go to "General - Settings - Iphone Storage" to check which apps were used last.

• Clear old downloads and files

• Remove duplicate photos and screenshots

• Empty your bins

Step 2: Organize your phone and laptop in folders,

by category:

Phone organized by folders

For me, a folder-based system is essential. Having everything grouped helps me clearly see what I have and makes it easier to stay organized. I create folders based on function or topic, rather than overcomplicating the system.

• On your phone: Group apps into folders such as Business, Health, Finance, Travel, or Family.

• On your laptop: Use clear main folders and subfolders like Personal, Admin, and Photos, then organize further by year, project, or name if needed.

• Google Drive is a great tool for organizing and storing files across devices.

A simple, structured system makes it much easier to find what you need, quickly and without stress.

Step 3: Keep your home screen minimal

This applies to both your phone and laptop. For me, having a clean and clear home screen on both devices is essential; it’s how I work best and that's how I've always had it.

A clutter-free home screen improves focus and reduces visual distractions (I use simple colors or a picture of my kids, which makes it a bit more fun!).

Keep only the apps you use daily (or almost daily) on your main screen, and store less-used apps in folders or secondary screens.

Phone: Main screen is clean, simple, and organized by colour. I only keep what I use most, and a folder for everything business-related

Phone main screen

Laptop: I have a folder for everything business related and a phot album that I'm working on. The rest is located in the Finder folder. As you can see, I also use widgets in my Main Screen.

Laptop main screen

Step 4: Use color and visual cues

As you’ve seen in the steps above, I mostly organize my apps by color. Visual organization is especially helpful for anyone who feels overwhelmed by too many icons or notifications. Rarely will my phone or email app show any notification numbers. I’m the kind of person who will never have a 1, 2, or 3 badge showing!

Step 5: Use widgets on your phone

Widgets for calendars, reminders, or to-do lists allow you to see important information without opening multiple apps. This small change can significantly improve daily productivity.

I have an iPhone, so I organize all my tasks and the kids’/family to-dos using the built-in Calendar and Reminders apps (which also includes a Shopping List). The tasks in Reminders sync directly to my Calendar app. The Reminders app lets you keep lists private or share them with someone else; I use both options. You can also add widgets to your home screen so you can see everything at a glance.

Step 6: Photos

It’s a lot of work, but I never let myself have more than 500 photos on my phone, even though I take a lot! I regularly transfer them to my laptop and organize everything into folders by year, month, and person (Kid 1, Kid 2, Family, Outings, etc.).

Maintaining your organization

Digital organization works best with simple maintenance:

• Weekly: delete screenshots and unused apps

• Monthly: review folders, downloads, and files