EBN- If you find it difficult to delete old messages, or if your phone feels like it’s full of files you don’t know how to manage, you may have a disorder known as “digital hoarding,” experts say.
But compulsive hoarding is not limited to material possessions only, but can also include digital files, such as emails, photos, texts, etc., that accumulate in our daily lives, which is called digital hoarding.
Smartphone users may feel emotionally attached to digital data and struggle to organize or delete it, leading to stress and anxiety.
“It’s about the fear that you might need this information at some point in the future and yet not have access to it and not know where to find it,” Dr. Emanuel Maidenberg, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, told CNN last week.
To determine if you are a digital hoarder, experts have identified four types of data hoarders:
1. “Data Collectors”: They have a well-organized file system and don’t get overwhelmed easily
2. Accidental hoarding”: These people don’t plan to keep unnecessary data, but they don’t know how to manage it.
3. “Hoarding on Instructions”: This group holds data on behalf of their companies and has no personal affiliation with them.
4. “Anxious hoarding”: They emotionally hold onto data in case they need it in the future.
Experts offer three tips for getting rid of digital clutter:
– Limit unnecessary information: Recent research has found that the average smartphone user has about 80 apps installed on their phone but uses only about 30 apps per month.
So, delete unused apps, unsubscribe from unnecessary newsletters and notifications, and clear your email of junk.
– Set digital boundaries to maintain mental health: Limiting email and social media use and scheduling “digital detox” days can reduce stress, enhance focus, and even improve sleep.
Clear out a little clutter every day: Dr. Susan Albers, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, recommends spending a few minutes each morning deleting unimportant emails, messages, and other notifications.
Storing only what is necessary, getting rid of unnecessary data, and organizing your digital files can help you feel less stressed and anxious.
“We all deal with digital clutter more than we realize, and I think decluttering is a simple way that, if we allocate a little time to it, can have huge benefits in terms of our productivity and overall happiness,” Albers said.
