This post on improving your digital wellbeing is more desktop-focused than I originally intended. Therefore, I plan to work on a second post with some mobile-focused content.

For my northern hemisphere friends, winter is here. Still, it’s a good idea to do some “spring cleaning” for the sake of your digital wellbeing.

If you’re like me, it is far too easy to let digital clutter pile up. Emails, downloads, maintenance tasks, all of it. Much like physical clutter, the more that piles up, the harder it is to get out from under it. In addition, it isn’t always clear what needs to be done, or how often, or how to do it. This post is aimed to clarify all of that.

Change Your Passwords

One of the first, and most important, things you can do to improve your digital wellbeing is change your passwords. All of them. Ideally, a password should be either randomly generated (and more than 16 characters long) or long and easily memorable for you, but hard to guess. (Naturally, there’s a relevant XKCD — don’t use that password!) On top of that, your accounts absolutely must not share a password with any of your other accounts – if one account is compromised, all of your other accounts with that password have also been compromised.

Realistically, all of your passwords should be updated every 3-6 months. Set up your calendar (physical or digital) with reminders. If you don’t want to change them that often, you should at least check your accounts on Have I Been Pwned; any affected accounts should have their passwords updated immediately.

Use a Password Manager

“But Josh, how am I supposed to remember all those long passwords?” I’ve got good news for you: you don’t have to.

Some modern browsers will offer to save your passwords out of the box, sync them with other devices, and even generate secure passwords for you (Firefox and Chrome especially). Built-in password management features tend to end there, however. For a lot of users, this functionality will suffice.

For those of you who need additional features, such as mobile access or organization, you can use a dedicated password manager. There are quite a few that work well for personal use, both free and paid. I’ve listed some good ones below; they all have similar overlapping features. For example, they offer easy-to-use mobile apps and browser extensions, as well as extra security features and password organization/categorization.

Set Up Two-Factor Authentication

To add an extra layer of security to your online accounts, enable two-factor authentication for each one. In case you may not know, two-factor authentication (2FA) simply adds a second variable (factor), such as a specific-to-you randomly generated code, to a login process ensure you’re you when you log into an account.

The best way to do this is by using an app, such as Authy, Google Authenticator, or Microsoft Authenticator. These apps live on your phone, and they will generate a code in the event that you need to log into a site. Some sites still allow you to receive a code via email or SMS, but those are considered not secure compared to the apps.

Enabling 2FA for an account on any site should be fairly simple; go to your user account settings and look for a “security” section. If you’re struggling, The Verge has a handy article on how to set it up for the most common web apps.

Usually, when you’re done setting up 2FA, a site will give you a handful of backup codes; these can be used to get into your account in the event that something happens to your phone. Save these ASAP; you can store them locally, but I would highly recommend storing it with your login details in your password manager. For example, LastPass includes a Notes field where you can store any relevant details; you can easily paste your backup codes in here. Notes are securely saved, just like your login credentials.

LastPass entries have a Notes field where you can store backup 2FA codes and other relevant information.
LastPass entries have a Notes field where you can store backup 2FA codes and other relevant information.

Scrub Your Inbox

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes let my email inbox get out of hand. If I immediately handled every single email problem, I would always be cleaning my inbox. It’s not practical. Sooner or later, though, it needs to be done.

If you’re following along with the rest of this post, you can unsubscribe from certain account emails while you’re updating passwords and 2FA settings. This can include social media messages, newsletters, and account notifications. This way, you get more done since you’re already updating your account settings.

As for the rest of your emails, take an hour or so and look through your inbox. If there is an item you don’t want to keep, don’t throw it away immediately. First unsubscribe from it (if it’s a newsletter); there’s almost always a link at the bottom to unsubscribe. (If there isn’t, mark it as spam. I’m serious. Not including one is extremely shady.) Next, run a search in your email for the sender; you can search for from:email@address (replacing email@address with an actual email address or sender name), and then select all of them. Then delete them. Poof!

While you’re in here, it’s a good idea to take note of what you don’t use anymore. Found an email from an abandoned Tumblr blog from a few years ago? Do you keep receiving coupons from the pizza place a few towns over, that you don’t visit anymore? Take the opportunity to delete old accounts you’re not using.

Empty Your Downloads Folder

I’m not going to delve too deep on this one. You know what’s in there. Old installers, outdated documents… clean out anything you don’t need anymore. If you do need a file, organize it and put it somewhere else (or add clearly-defined folders inside your download directory). And don’t forget to empty your recycle bin/trash when you’re done!

Clean Your Device

Now more than ever, it’s important to keep your physical devices clean. Wipe down your monitor(s). Sanitize your keyboard, mouse, controller, and anything else you touch on a regular basis. If you own a desktop computer, open up the case and take a can of compressed air to the inside; clean out all the dust, cobwebs, and gunk from every cranny. If you really feel like getting involved, remove your keyboard’s caps and clean out all the dust bunnies living in there.

I know this particular step can get a bit intense, but it is worth it.

Don’t let your computer look like this. Image by Tistio on Unsplash.

Conclusion

Whew! I know I just threw a lot at you, and I know it can be daunting to try and do this for the first time (or to keep up with it). I believe you can handle it. If you have any questions, though, feel free to leave a comment below or visit my contact page.

Featured image by Tarn Nguyen on Unsplash.