Declutter Your Photos and Avoid Digital Hoarding

Whether it be 20 duplicate photos of your pet, 50 photos from slightly different angles, or 30 accidental screenshots of your lock screen, your camera roll probably has some digital clutter. You might be running out of storage on your phone, but the idea of sorting through thousands of photos is emotionally overwhelming.

There could be photos of people you may or may not still be friends with, places that you might rather be in, and nostalgic videos of different times. You might also be engaging in "digital hoarding" and a scarcity mentality. Sure, those ten photos of the sunset are almost identical but slightly different. How do we move forward?

Consider these strategies:

• Delete photos you absolutely don't need first. Think accidental screenshots, blurry photos, etc..

• For duplicates or very similar photos, pick the best one and delete the rest.

• For similar photos that you have a hard time narrowing down, collage them into one photo and delete duplicates.

• For photos that you're holding on to for other people, send them the photos and delete them off of your phone.

Going through your photos also takes time, emotional space, and decision-making energy. Set aside some intentional time in a peaceful space to do so, or consider using times when you might be waiting or scrolling. Maybe you'll delete photos while sipping your morning coffee, commuting, or sitting in the sun, but you don't have to do them all in one go.

Deleting photos helps you practice digital decluttering. Just like how decluttering your physical space can bring more peace and routine, decluttering your digital space can also help reduce the mental and visual toll that comes with being on your phone.