3 Tips to Reset Your Tech
What do you think of when you hear the word “reset”? Reset means to set again or anew.
We’re entering a new quarter of the year and all I can think about is reviewing and revitalizing my rituals and routines.
Like many of us, my tech is filled with clutter and unused applications. It’s annoying and there are times I don’t want to check email or look at my phone because I know that unnecessary mess and clutter awaits. Whether it’s the unread emails from my six inboxes (I know, I know), or the thousands of photos on my phone, tech is truly a stressor for me! Instead of beating myself up, I’m using the new quarter of the year to reset some of my tech self-care goals.
Here’s a list of daily, weekly, and monthly tasks I’m challenging myself to do this quarter to reset my tech and relieve that stress:
Daily Tasks
Clean your phone. How often do you physically clean your tech? I'll be the first to admit that I didn't clean my phone often pre-COVID. Now I'm more diligent about cleaning my phone and laptop but my goal is to clean both with a wet wipe daily!
Read messages. That little red notification dot on iPhone apps (called badges) gives me so much anxiety! (More on notifications later!) I have a bad habit of ignoring messages throughout the day (sorry to my family and friends lol). So starting this quarter, I’m spending time each day to read (and respond to) messages to get rid of the badges and start at zero every day. If zero inbox is not your goal (or is unattainable), take some time to figure out what your "inbox goal" is and aim to get it there daily.
Weekly Tasks
Delete photos and videos. Whether you're part of the planning community on social media, a social media manager, a parent, or a content creator, you probably take a lot of photos and videos! Each week, I will go through my phone and delete unwanted photos and videos as a way to save space and make searching easier.
Emails. Whew! To be honest, I would pay someone to go through my inbox for me and get all six (yes, don't judge me) inboxes down to zero. Starting this week, I will try to at least read and respond/delete all the unread messages in my inbox. In the past, I have yet to get all six emails down to zero but I'm working on it!
Monthly Tasks
Review and delete apps. If you're an iPhone user, you might know that your phone can "undownload" apps that you do not use often! Check your "undownloaded" apps and delete them (probably more often than monthly) because why waste space and add unnecessary clutter to your App Library?
While you're reviewing your apps, also think about whether you need badges turned on for your remaining apps. I turned off badges for some of my social media apps earlier this year. I use the apps less frequently now because I'm not distracted each time there is a new notification! Check out this article to learn how to turn off your badges too!
It’s a new month and a new quarter! How often will you reset your tech? If your phone or laptop cause you stress, be intentional this quarter about resetting your tech to relieve stress.
