Videos, images, screenshots, SMS… If your phone’s memory is always full and you have difficulty sorting through this data, the following should interest you. CNN has in fact given the floor to experts who detail the threats of this practice for your mental and physical health. Explanations.
A harmful accumulation
Susan Albers, clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, believes that accumulating these digital files is a very bad habit:
It’s something that triggers a lot of stress and anxiety, the collection of emails, images, open tabs – an overwhelming number of digital items that trigger overload. What’s interesting is that this isn’t the type of problem our ancestors had to deal with, but, if we fast forward to today, our daily lives are definitely rife with a lot of clutter digital.
As with clutter in the real world, our brains tend to prefer clarity. And if some people tend to accumulate files on their devices, then it could be a form of anxiety. The user may tell himself that he will need it later and is afraid of losing access to it. This “hoarding” disorder affects 2.5% of the American population.
According to experts interviewed by the American media, if digital clutter reaches such a level that you can no longer store anything on your device or that wading through this mess prevents you from practicing another social activity, it is really time to react.
Techniques to get out of it
It is therefore advisable to set aside time each day, for example a few minutes, to delete certain unnecessary emails and files. These sessions, which are best done before work, can even make you more productive.
Experts also suggest reducing the time spent checking your emails or doing a digital detox day where you completely disconnect so that you no longer feel overwhelmed.
Susan Albers rightly concludes: “We all face digital clutter more than we realize and I think decluttering is a simple way, if we spend a little time, that has big benefits in terms of productivity and overall happiness. »
