I hoped to do that 30-day decluttering, but a) I was very busy these past weeks and b) I already did most of the easier decluttering in April and May, so I struggled to find things on busy days.

I also tried to decluttered photos this month! Not in a very organised way, but any picture gone is a win, so that's okay.

In total I decluttered at least 94 items (I think a few more but haven't documented those)

and 770 pictures!

this is a device that we use on the daily, so it only makes sense that it should be uncluttered and able to serve the purposes that we need it for most. :)

camera roll

delete duplicate photos, or photos that are similar to each other

go through your screenshots and delete everything that is no longer needed or looked at

if you have any photos that you've been saving to print out, go ahead and do that now or add it to your todo list.

videos: we often video a moment to keep the memory, and then forget the video ever exists. videos suck up a lot of storage on your phone: evaluate which ones are important to you, and trash the rest.

create albums: make it easier on yourself to find a specific image or video, rather than spend time scrolling through every photo you've ever taken to get to it.

apps

delete any unused social media. in fact, try to delete used social media as well. often, viewing social media on a computer instead of a phone will reduce your screen time and wane down your social media habits.

delete shopping apps that aren't used regularly! especially if these apps send marketing notifications that tempt you to spend money.

get rid of mobile games! especially if they're old downloads that you no longer play.

delete old alarms and timers in the clock app that you don't use

email

delete old emails, whether they're communication emails or marketing emails. you don't need all 100+ emails sitting in your inbox, make room so that you can easily see current communications and future emails

unsubscribe from marketing emails! you don't need junk emails from every website that you've ever entered your email. keep the few email subscriptions that you genuinely read/browse, and delete the rest. there's no point in staying subscribed to emails that you end up deleting without viewing.

purge old notes from your notes app. old grocery lists, no-longer-relevant-notes, and things you never look at. clear them out so you can easily view the lists that you do need.

notifications

not every app needs your attention. turn off notifications for mobile games, shopping apps, social media, anything that is constantly buzzing your phone that either gets swiped away or causes you to pick up your phone and spend hours scrolling or shopping.

contacts

anyone you haven't talked to in years and can't think of a reasonable answer to why you would need to message them again, delete it. you don't need to swipe through people you'll never talk to again to get to the ones that you do talk to. less people to accidentally butt-dial.

clear up contact names: if it isn't clear to you who the person is based on the name (ex: "girl from mat class); fix it or delete it.

messages

delete old text threads. they take up more space than you'd think, and if you don't talk to the person or reference the conversation, it can be ridded of without a second thought.

any messages with an ex-friend or ex-partner, delete them. especially if you find yourself looking back at the messages every once in a while- it will help your mental health not to linger on them.

go through any notifications that you've missed or neglected before

overall

delete browser tabs. just because you say you'll look at it again later, doesn't mean you will. i had tabs open for years that i never looked at again, despite telling myself that i needed that information. if you absolutely need it, pin it for later. if you don't, hit that x.

Digital minimalism isn’t only some trend; it can be your quiet rebellion. A refusal to let your attention be auctioned off to the highest bidder. But what is digital minimalism, really? The digital minimalism definition goes beyond deleting apps or switching to minimalistic tech. It’s about designing a digital life that reflects your values, not your impulses.

For parents, this philosophy can be transformative. Imagine your own home where screens don’t dominate every moment of your existence. Where dinner is a conversation, not a scroll. Where your child sees you unplug not because you have to, but because you choose to. Digital minimalism offers that possibility. It’s not about perfection but presence.

Entrepreneurs, too, are drowning in digital clutter. Notifications, platforms, productivity hacks, they promise efficiency but often deliver exhaustion. Digital minimalism invites you to strip away the noise and focus on what actually moves your business forward. Fewer tools. Sharper decisions. More time for deep work, not shallow reaction.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What does digital minimalism actually mean for my life?” this is your moment to find out. Explore Digital Liberation for the Intentional Minimalist]

Some of the benefits of digital minimalism are both subtle and can be profound. You’ll notice less anxiety. More clarity. A renewed sense of control over your time and attention. Relationships can deepen. Your creativity returns. Your digital footprint shrinks, but your impact grows.

I had these positive experiences myself, and that's why I wrote this book. It all stemmed from the road to minimalism that my wife and I embarked on about a year ago before we decided to move.

So how does anyone even begin?

Start with a simple audit. What apps do you actually use? Which ones serve your goals, and which ones steal your focus? Then, define your own version of screen-free zones. Mornings. Meals. Evenings. These can become sacred spaces, not scroll spaces. Choose tech that supports your rhythm, not disrupts it. One calendar. One inbox. One note-taking app. That’s enough.

And most importantly, ask yourself: What do I want my digital life, to say about me, and be to me?

If you’re ready to answer that question with some intention, Digital Liberation for the Intentional Minimalist is a simple guide. It’s not just a book, it’s also a cool blueprint for reclaiming your attention, your creativity, and your peace.

Why should I delete emails? I might need them and I have the storage capacity.

Sure. But according to the French energy agency, sending and receiving email emits ~19 gram of CO2 and storing it for a year adds 10 other grams. Not to mention the psychological burden created by seeing hundreds of unread or red-flaged emails.

So do yourself AND the planet a favor : delete what's not necessary.

➡ Step 1 : spams and unsolicited

I would advise to start with spam and all those promotional / unsolicited emails. Lots has been written about it, so I'll make it short.

In Europe, since yesterday we have this wonderful law, called RGPD, which force companies to delete all the data they have about us if asked. So ask!

If you leave outside the EU, you can still ask to not receive the news anymore. It's often a very small written unsuscribe link at the very bottom of the email. Keep doing so every time you receive new junk.

Bonus effect : you will no longer be tempted to buy that stuff that you don't really need but have a super discount on.

➡ Step 2 : anything expired

Use the search option of your email box to show all the expired email and delete them. By expired, I mean the ones about last month meeting, last week lunch with a co-worker, job offers that have long been given to someone else, reply ASAP that you never replied to etc.

You can put keywords like "meeting", "lunch", "invitation", "inauguration", "reservation", "appointment", "drinks", "exhibition", whatever works best for you. And toss everything that from before last week.

Beware effect : maybe the invitation have the name and contact info of someone you will want to call/meet at some point later. Just add the info to your contact list before deleting.

➡ Step 3 : take a break.

If you've come so far, you've probably already delete a few dozen of emails. Yeah for you!

➡ Step 4 : create folders

OK, that's a "time-consuming but effective in the long term" one. Create folders within your inbox for bunch of emails around the same topic.

For example, I create a folder everytime I am working on an article. Every information, investigation, rendez-vous and stuff regarding that subject go in it. When it's finish, I usually keep the folder for two weeks (just in case) and then delete the whole thing. Hundreds of emails gone with one click.

Same goes for my holidays. Every reservation and exchange regarding a trip goes into the dedicated folder. Back from the holiday, that folder is deleted.

➡ Step 5 : create automatic rules

If you don't know anything about technology and can't make it, that's totally fine. But it is worth trying and looking for, trust me :)

The idea here is to let the machine move emails into the designated folder instead of doing it yourself every time you receive one. The way to do it depends on every mailbox and my English is honestly not good enough to explain it, but there are plenty of great tutorials around the web.

I use this for my work agenda for example. Every time my manager approves my day off or one of coworkers takes a day off, our software send us an email. These are useful to know where is who if I need to, but I definitely don't need to read them every time. So they go automatically in their folder and never appear in my work flow. Then every Friday I delete the old ones (see step 2).

That's so far for me! Following it won't leave you with a 0 mailbox but it will make a good dent in the digital moutain and allows a smoother work.

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Today is a day of ideas and clarity. Jupiter gives the waning Moon a shot of optimism near sunrise. The morning may present surprises or upsets as Mercury and then the Moon each have inspiring talks with Uranus before lunchtime. The Moon and Mercury meet in the early afternoon to discuss the insights gained. The afternoon is quieter, winding down to the New Moon. The Moon and Sun will join this afternoon at 4:05 pm, beginning the new Moon cycle and forming a partial Solar eclipse visible in Antarctica and the southern tip of South America. This Aquarius New Moon occurs near the Lunar South Node, making it a powerful releasing Moon. This afternoon is an excellent time to clear out the email inbox and other digital clutter. Early in the evening, Venus in foggy Pisces is reminded by stern Saturn to be more realistic in matters of love and money. Are you seeing your relationships and finances through rose-colored glasses?

I hope you've been reviewing the last moon cycle which started at the Capricorn New Moon. Meditate and reflect on what you have accomplished. The Moon goes void immediately after her meet-up with the Sun, resting until she enters Pisces at 9:42 pm. The Moon in Pisces is dreamy and idealistic. Get a good night's sleep. Make time tomorrow for a New Moon ritual inspired by your dreams.

*The Moon is said to be void-of-course (VOC) from the moment she makes her last angle to a planet until the moment she crosses into the next sign. Anything that transpires during this time won’t amount to much, or won’t perform as expected, so it's best not to start new projects or sign contracts. Small crises resolve as the Moon moves on into new territory. Try not to make mountains out of molehills. Think of it as a mini-Mercury retrograde. Rest, review, reorganize. Stick to routine matters. These times can be a few minutes long, or up to several hours.

21/02/24

My vertigo has been killing me since yesterday but I managed to complete most of my to-dos! Most of them because the psychical ones have been impossible to do. Today when my mum comes home I’ll get to it so I don’t get koed by my symptoms.

Declutter my laptop and make space for the new semester

Do my annual digital security load

Prepare a Percy Jackson rpg one shot for some friends

Organize and clean my room