#180| Declutter Challenge Day 3: Digital Declutter: Overwhelm, Productivity, Time Management & People Pleasing

Is your phone, inbox, or computer silently adding stress to your day?

Digital clutter is the invisible mess most working women overlook—but it’s stealing focus, energy, and calm every single time you open your devices. Imagine the relief of cutting through that chaos in just one short session.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How to choose the one digital space that’s causing you the most stress.
• A simple method to declutter your inbox, photos, or apps without overwhelm.
• The surprising mental clarity and time savings you’ll gain immediately.

Listen now and clear just one digital spot today—you’ll feel lighter, calmer, and more in control before the day ends.

Featured on the podcast
Sign up for the Declutter Challenge
Send Michelle a voice message

Listen to episode 169 - Sentimental Clutter

Wondering why you're overwhelmed? Take my "why am I overwhelmed" quiz to find out the source of your overwhelm, and what to do about it.

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Life can be overwhelming, but on this podcast, you'll discover practical strategies to overcome overwhelm, imposter syndrome, and negative self-talk, manage time effectively, set boundaries, and stay productive in high-stress jobs—all while learning how to say no and prioritize self-care on the Overwhelmed Worki...

Episode Transcript

Michelle Gauthier (00:04):
You're listening to Overwhelmed Working
Woman, the podcast that helpsyou be more calm and more
productive by doing less.
I'm your host, MichelleGauthier, a former Overwhelmed
Working Woman and current lifecoach.
On this show we unpack thestress and pressure that today's
working woman experiences andin each episode you'll get a
strategy to bring more calm,ease and relaxation to your life

(00:28):
.
Hello, friend, and welcome backto day three of declutter
challenge week.
Yesterday, we simplified aspace in your home.
I say we, like I was there withyou, maybe the podcast was
there with you, whether it was adrawer, a part of a closet part
of the bathroom, your car,whatever, it's so great to make

(00:51):
that small progress.
I've already heard wins frompeople saying they feel calmer
just walking into that space now, or just even knowing it's
there from the other room, andthat's exactly the ripple effect
we're after, because when youget that good feedback, it makes
you want to continue.
So today we're going to thinkabout digital clutter and I'm
going to explain some of theplaces where digital clutter

(01:11):
could be, how to take action fortoday and some of the things to
consider before you get started.
So, if you think about all thedigital clutter in your life.
Think of our phones, ourcomputer or computers, iPad,
inboxes.
These are the sort of invisiblemesses that take up space in

(01:32):
our brains.
So clearing even one areadigitally will give you a
surprising amount of mentalrelief.
I remember a couple years ago -and I still love them, Clea and
Joanna from the Home Edit.
They sort of organizeeverything in colors and I
cleared off my home screen of myphone to only have the apps

(01:52):
that I always use and then I putthem in color order and I'm
telling you, every time I pickup my phone I'd just be like, oh
so beautiful, I love it, itjust made me so happy.
So it's amazing, even doing adigital declutter can really
just make you feel so muchbetter.
So today I want you to thinkabout where do you feel the most
digital overwhelm or clutter inyour day and what effects does

(02:16):
it have on your day.
So if we think about, as anexample, my example of picking
up my phone, and if I want touse an app and I don't know I
don't have all the ones that Iuse all the time on the home
screen, maybe I've got to scrolllike three or four pages or do
a search or something to findthe app that I'm looking for.
So let's think about what theimpact would be if my home
screen only has like the nine orso apps that I use on a regular

(02:41):
basis.
First of all, it just makes mefeel better, and how much time
I'll save every time that I goto open one of those apps.
I just read that the averageperson picks up their phone 150
times a day, which is, in myopinion, an underestimate.
I feel like my teenagers pickup their phone 150 times before
breakfast, but let's just saythat that 150 number is true.

(03:02):
And every time I pick up myphone I have to look at a home
screen that makes me feellow-key, anxious, and then I
have to search for whatever itis that I'm looking for.
Let's just imagine that I wastelike I don't know five seconds
and feel kind of anxious everytime I pick it up.
And then I just eliminate that.
I eliminate that five secondsand I eliminate that little bit

(03:22):
of discomfort.
Times 150, times seven days aweek, times 52 weeks a year.
Imagine the incremental impactof that just adding up over time
.
Also, when you're followingalong in the workbook, you'll
see some follow-up questions forafter you do the decluttering
to help you think about how youkeep going on this.

(03:43):
So you take today your one stepand then you can make a plan
for how you want to continue inthis area.
It's not too late.
Even though today's day three,you can always go back and
listen to days one and two anddo the declutter challenge at
your very own pace.
So if you want to, you canstill go.
Click on the link.
You will get the workbook thatgoes along with the declutter

(04:03):
challenge that you're listeningto right now.
So grab that if you haven'tdone that already.
Okay, so for today, after youthink about what area is causing
you the most stress, make itsomething small that you can do
in 30 minutes or less, dependingon how much time you have today
, or if you happen to have, youknow, two hours today.
You could really get a lot done, but I'm guessing no one

(04:24):
listening is like, oh yeah, Ihave two hours today.
I could definitely do that.
So here are some examples youcould delete your emails, just
from this week so far.
You could remove just theunused apps from your phone.
You could delete duplicatephotos you know when you go on
vacation and there's like 15good ones and you have like 150

(04:45):
pictures.
You could clear out your oldvoicemails, turn off unnecessary
notifications, so go throughand change the notification
settings on things.
Think about your computer.
When you open your laptop, whatdo you see on the home screen?
Does it make you feel calm?
Or is that something that youcould clear out?

(05:05):
And when I'm talking aboutdeleting like your emails or
your old voicemails, reallyagain be brutal on this.
I think I've told this story onthe podcast before, but I was
cleaning out my email.
I've had this same email forlike 10 years.
That's sort of our family onewhere I get all the school
emails and all my your orderfrom Bowdoin has arrived or

(05:26):
whatever emails.
And there was some stuff inthere that I had saved.
And I accidentally it's likethe universe made me have this
accidental move where Iliterally deleted everything
from like the past 10 years,deleted the delete box.
I mean it was gone and Ipanicked for like 10 seconds and

(05:49):
then I was like wait, maybethis is actually a huge gift and
I'm here to tell you there isnot one thing that I can think
of that I have missed from thatNothing, literally nothing.
So think about and maybe evenjust ponder this.
You don't have to do it, butthink about what if you just
deleted all of your old emails?
What would seriously reallyhappen?
Voicemails for sure.

(06:11):
What if you just that's what Ido on my phone?
First of all, half of them arestupid digital calls where it's
just spam anyway.
But first of all, who leavesvoicemails anymore?
Send me a text?
I just delete them all at thesame time.
Okay.
So whatever area you pick, it'sa little bit interesting when
you're thinking about digitaldecluttering, because you know

(06:32):
the rules are usually take itall out, sort them into piles
and then get rid of what needsto be gotten rid of and put
everything else back.
You can't exactly do that in aninbox.
I guess you could maybe dragthem all to a folder where
you're looking at them, but youcan start when you're doing it
digitally by doing the deletestep.
So think about what for sureyou don't want and just clear

(06:53):
that out, and then look atwhat's remaining and sort those
into piles.
I would also here's a free tipon emails.
I had a phase where I had afolder for everything that is
not useful or necessary.
So either it's in my inbox, inmy deleted box or in my save box
.
So if something really needs tobe saved, I just put it in the
same folder, because the searchfeatures are so good now that it

(07:17):
will find it.
You don't have to put it in aspecific folder.
So get rid of maybe that'ssomething you can do for today.
Get rid of all those randomsave folders and if you really
need to save something, just putthem all in one box.
Okay, and don't forget when youfinish, pause for a moment and
see how it feels to have thatspace cleaned up.
Notice the difference in yourenergy and your focus, and then,

(07:40):
right after that, reply back tothe email you got from me this
morning.
If you're doing the challenge,you will have gotten an email
from me or send me a voice note,and the voice note link is in
the show notes.
Every time you do that, you'llbe entered to win one of our
prizes and I love hearing fromyou.
It's just fun to hear theprogress that you're making and
that way I can share it on thepodcast tomorrow and you can
inspire other people as well.

(08:01):
Okay, that's it for day three.
Clear one digital spot.
Celebrate your mental breathingroom and get ready for tomorrow
when we'll talk about yourcalendar.
Thank you for listening to theOverwhelmed Working Woman
podcast.
If you want to learn more aboutmy work, head over to my

(08:23):
website at michellegauthier.
com.
See you next week.