When you think about spring cleaning, you probably think about finally clearing off your desk and filing all of those papers, cleaning out a closet, or finally dusting the cobwebs out of the corner. But what about your digital life? It is probably in need of a good spring cleaning as well!

If you're a blogger, it's easy to accumulate lots of digital junk: files, apps, pictures, and more. Below, we've compiled a checklist of things you can add to your spring cleaning project list that will help you declutter your digital life as a blogger.

Make sure you scroll to the end of this article to download a free printable version of this checklist!

Unused Files and Apps

Have you ever gone to add an app to one of your devices and realized you didn't have enough space for it? Or have you ever looked at the “space used” information on your computer files or cloud space and thought, “I should probably free up some space”?

Spring is the perfect opportunity to set aside some time to get rid of any unused apps on your devices (tablet, phone, computer), and to get rid of any unnecessary files, especially if you have files in the cloud such as on Google Drive or OneDrive.

Once you've cleared out everything you don't need, it's a good idea to run a backup of the files that you do want to keep.

Backup Your Website

The last thing you need is for something to go wrong with your website files that risks you losing years worth of blog work.

You should be backing up your website on a regular basis (such as weekly). However, now is the perfect time to make sure that you have automatic backups setup for your website and that they are configured correctly.

Your hosting provider may be able to help you set this up or at least point you in the right direction.

Inspect your hardware

It’s a good idea to regularly test your computer’s hardware to make sure your equipment is running as it should. You’d hate to ignore an issue, only to have it cause a more serious one further down the line. Seek computer repair experts who can give your kit a health check and make sure there aren’t any serious issues. Always remember to back everything up – this could be a great time to move to the cloud if you haven’t done so already!

Social Media Accounts

You may not think of your social media accounts as something that is in need of a spring cleaning. But, having well-presented social media accounts is an important aspect to blogging, especially if you're looking to do it professionally.

Here are some tips for cleaning up your social media accounts:

Unfollow unnecessary and irrelevant social media accounts. If it's not something or someone that is relevant to helping your own social media grow, unfollow them and follow a few accounts that do fit with your purpose.
Delete images, links, and statuses. Scan your images and links to make sure they fit with your current goals for your blog. Whether it's a meme on your facebook page that didn't quite hit it off with your readers, or a tweet that you no longer agree with, deleting them will help your social media accounts feel more focused and polished.
Spruce up your Pinterest boards. Take an inventory of your pinterest boards. Delete any unpopular boards, leave group boards that have less followers that your own boards, and delete any duplicate pins.

Old Photos

This one kind of goes along with getting rid of old files and apps. However, going through photos, deleting unnecessary ones, and organizing those you want to keep, can be a task all on it's own.

It takes quite a bit of time and effort to go through digital photos, decide which ones to keep, and make the decision to delete some photos for good.

Here are some tips to help with the process:

File very popular or relevant memes and delete the rest. Most bloggers I know have a ton of memes and shareable photos saved to their computer. The best way to decide what to delete and what to keep for future saving is to ask yourself “Was this a popular meme the first time I shared it?” and “Is this highly relevant to the purpose of my blog for the future?”
Organize photos into different folders. For instance, have separate photos for creative commons images, photos you've taken yourself, and edited photos for social media (such as pinterest images). Spend time filing your photos into these folders and make sure you save things to the right folder in the future.

Purge Your Email

If you're anything like me, you have dozens of old emails sitting in your inbox that you have never decided what to do with or whether or not you should get rid of them.

Force yourself to sit down and go through all of those emails and make a decision about whether they should stay or go.

If it's a project or collaboration that you had been corresponding about, but that is no longer relevant, it's probably time to get rid of it. If it's a contact that you'd like to possibly work with in the future, create a file for those types of emails and file your correspondence digitally.

Better yet, extract the information you need from various conversations into a spreadsheet or word file, such as if you want to save the names and emails of company contacts or collaborative bloggers.

The goal is to clear your inbox and make your digital space more organized and efficient.

Free Printable Digital Spring Cleaning Checklist

Want to download this checklist as a printable file? Righ click > Save As on the image to save this checklist to your computer to print at your convenience.

Or, click on this link: Printable Spring Cleaning Checklist for Bloggers

Has this checklist helped you decide how you need to clean up your digital life? Let us know in the comments!

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Vanessa Pruitt, PLMHP, MS

Vanessa is a Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Practitioner in Nebraska and holds an MS in Clinical Psychology. She is dedicated to spreading knowledge and awareness of mental health, adult attachment, and highly sensitive persons.

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