OK, so the New Year’s celebrations went down a treat and you went into January with your resolutions firmly mapped out: this year I’m going to be more productive, more organised, and delete all those useless emails clogging my inbox!
Did that happen? If you’re like most of us, probably not! And let’s face it, the amount of digital clutter we get nowadays warrants a good old tidy up now and again. So, grab your digital duster (your hands), fire up your computer, and follow these simple digital spring cleaning tips for a happy, more organised online life.
Install the latest antivirus software
Those pesky computer viruses are mutating and multiplying quicker than the common cold, which means having the best antivirus software you can get, on your vulnerable computer is an absolute necessity. There are many paid and free antivirus programs to choose from; make sure that the program you choose is updated regularly to protect you from the latest online threats.
Sort out your emails
The single biggest thing clogging up the internet is emails! The Daily Mail quoted that the average UK worker exchanges roughly 40 emails per day, and about 10% of us receive over 100 emails per day. This bombardment of digital mail quickly piles up, with thousands of emails going untouched in our inboxes.
So be prepared to be ruthless and wave your digital duster in every nook and cranny of your inbox. Delete all emails that aren’t essential and make sure you unsubscribe from email senders that have no relevance to your life at all. They just need to go!
Be picky with your social media friends
Every now and then, it’s wise to have a mass cull of your social media ‘friends’. After all, how many unnecessary baby pictures and selfies can you actually take? Not to mention those pointless weather updates or statuses about doing the ironing. Who cares?
Delete anyone on social media that you don’t keep in touch with. You may think having 1,000 friends or followers makes you popular, but in reality, it just makes social media that much more annoying. Get rid of these so-called friends now – you’ll feel better for it!
Organise your web browser
Find yourself visiting the same websites again and again? Do you always open your web browser and then proceed to enter the web addresses to visit your favourite sites? Well, guess what – you can have all of your favourite sites right there when you open your web browser simply by ‘pinning’ them.
To do this, all you have to do is right-click the tab of your chosen site and select the option that says ‘pin tab’. It’s really that simple and you’ll be able to access your favourite cat pictures in milliseconds – perfect!
These are just a few handy ways you can tidy up your digital life. Happy cleaning!
Disclosure: In collaboration with Panda Antivirus Software.