6 Satisfying Steps For Doing a Digital Spring Cleaning

6 Satisfying Steps For Doing a Digital Spring Cleaning

When I think of spring cleaning, I imagine myself opening up all of the windows on a gloriously sunny day, blasting an upbeat playlist, and getting to work on deep-cleaning my home. The energy of spring invites a fresh start, which oftentimes looks like spring cleaning your home.

But when I ask myself: Where do I spend a lot of my time? What needs freshening up? In addition to my home, what comes to mind are my devices. I spend a lot of time on my laptop and phone, and as I see the number of notifications, unread emails, and texts that have piled up, I know part of my spring cleaning should definitely be digital. If you’re looking to organize your cyber clutter, here are six ideas to help get you started. 

It seems to me that people generally fall into one of two camps when it comes to emails: those who regularly keep their inbox at zero, and those whose email boxes are in the triple, or even quadruple digits. I admit, I’m that person who has over a thousand — yes,  a thousand — unread emails clogging my inbox. Even though all of them are marketing emails or spam, I know I’ll be diving in and mass deleting lots of emails this spring, and returning to my unroll.me account — a free program that allows you to manage all of your email subscriptions at once. 

Delete apps on your phone you don’t use anymore.

Taking stock of the apps you use and don’t use is a great way to free up some storage on your phone, as well as on your screen. While you’re at it, you could also take time to organize your remaining apps, perhaps by color or by category. 

Unfollow social media accounts you’re no longer interested in.

It’s so easy to hit the follow button on a whim, and sometimes I see accounts I don’t even remember following in the first place! Going through your social media and unfollowing or muting accounts that no longer resonate with you is a great way to not only declutter your feed but your mind, too.

I recently invested in a new laptop, and remembered the relief that an empty desktop screen brings. My old laptop had important documents, apps, and the menu bar across the bottom of my screen had become quite cluttered. It’s easy to simply put docs and apps away into folders, and hide the menu so it won’t show up until you hover your cursor over it. Another option is to download a desktop organizer wallpaper, and place important docs and files into their designated spots on your computer screen. 

Check in on subscriptions and cancel any you don’t use.

There have been a few times in my life where I’ve signed up for a free trial of something and then I’ve forgotten to cancel before it’s up. Cue the groans! We’ve all been there, and it can be hard to stay on top of subscriptions with everything going on in our busy lives. This season is a great time to check in on those automated payments, and decide whether or not you’re using what you’ve been paying for. 

Recycle old electronics and appliances.

Have a phone or laptop from a few years ago just hanging out on a shelf in your closet? Or maybe a pile of random wires or chargers that you don’t know what to do with? Part with these items by recycling them. Places like Best Buy offer recycling services for everything from laptops and DVD players to landline phones and vacuums. Before you recycle your items, just be sure to securely wipe your data. 

This Laptop Stand Is the Work-From-Home Solution I’ve Needed For More Than a Decade

This Laptop Stand Is the Work-From-Home Solution I’ve Needed For More Than a Decade

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I’m not ashamed to admit it: I’ve been taking cues about how to spend my money from MTV for as long as I can remember. Was I that kid walking around in lace fingerless gloves like Madonna in the “Like a Virgin” video? You bet I was! Did I donate to the college fund for Tyler from “Teen Mom”? Proudly! And my latest MTV-inspired expenditure happened just a few short months ago.

When “The Real World: Homecoming,” debuted last year, bringing the original cast of “The Real World” back together 30 years later, I was in pop-culture-nostalgia heaven. And that’s where I spied the A/Stand, a game-changing portable computer and tablet stand that one of the cast members invented! It looked sleek, sturdy, and definitely worth a try. Intrigued and semi-star struck, I had to have one for myself. Read on for my honest review. (Spoiler alert: I’m obsessed.)

I’ve been working from home for more than a decade, and while I do have a dedicated room with a desk and some shelves, my “office” tends to be wherever in the apartment I feel like sitting. And — as the rest of the world is now wise to — lots of times that means working from the couch. From using a styrofoam-filled lap desk (weird) to stacking the computer on top of pillows (precarious) to setting it on the cushion next to me and hunching over to type (ridiculous), I’ve tried all sorts of ways to find a comfortable, stable setup where I can feel as productive as I do in my actual office. The A/Stand is the answer I’ve been waiting for for years. Why? Well, how much time do you have?

For starters, at less than two pounds, the A/Stand is extremely lightweight yet doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy. (Trust me, I wouldn’t rest my laptop on anything that felt the least bit wobbly!) It folds down flat, which makes it easy to throw into your backpack to use on the go, and it includes cool features like a removable mousepad, a slot to prop up your tablet when you’re using it and space to store it when you’re not, a sliding drink tray, easy-to-use buttons, and more.

But the coolest thing about the A/Stand? You can configure it in 20 different ways! Whether you want it even and level, angled toward you, or lifted up, it is incredibly versatile and quick to transform into a new shape to accommodate your needs. If I’m craving a break from sitting at my desk, I flip a few buttons to give the A/Stand some height, and voila, instant standing desk. If I want to relax on the couch and put my feet up, I pop the surface down to a slight angle and set it on my lap; it feels ergonomically comfortable to both type on and look at, and since it’s so light, it doesn’t put undue pressure on my legs. (Plus, it provides a welcome buffer between my hot, overworked laptop and me.) Another bonus: I can hang out (virtually) with my friends and family on non-work-related Zooms in the living room without that unflattering, looking-up-from-the-coffee-table camera angle. Yesssss.

Lately, working extra-long hours has been my norm, and when the sun goes down I need a change of scenery from the office to the living room. That’s why I’ve been using my A/Stand every.single.night. I can be comfortable, productive, and kind to my body all at once! Tonight I’m bingeing a backlog of “Jersey Shore” episodes from my DVR … something tells me I should keep my credit card handy …