Declutter your digital workspace

During the hustle and bustle of the academic year, it’s easy for our digital lives to become as cluttered as our physical spaces. Documents, files, and more pile up on our desktops, making it a digital jungle of chaos. But fear not! National Clean Desktop Day serves as a reminder to tidy up our virtual desks, and for some, our physical desks. At Texas State University, we have many tools and resources available to help all Bobcats declutter with ease.

The importance of an organized digital workspace 

Why is it important to keep an organized and clutter-free digital workspace? Just as a cluttered physical workspace can hinder productivity and increase stress levels, a messy digital workspace could have similar effects.  

For students: A cluttered desktop can make it difficult to find essential class materials, assignments, or research documents. This disorganization can lead to unnecessary stress and decreased productivity, especially when you’re juggling multiple courses. 

For faculty: Faculty members often have many files related to teaching, research, and administrative tasks. An organized digital workspace can streamline the teaching process, help maintain research records, and make it easier to collaborate with colleagues. 

For staff: Administrative staff rely heavily on digital tools and documents to keep university operations running smoothly. An organized digital workspace can improve efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance communication within the university. 

Texas State University’s digital organization tools 

Texas State University is committed to helping students, faculty, and staff be successful in educational and professional pursuits. Here are some tools and resources available to help your organizational goals: 

1. BobcatMail: The official email system of Texas State, BobcatMail, offers storage for emails and attachments and integrates with many Microsoft 365 apps. Use folders and labels to categorize and organize your emails, keeping your inbox clutter-free.
2. Microsoft 365: Texas State faculty, staff, students, and retirees have free access to Microsoft 365, including applications like Outlook, Word, Excel, OneNote, and more. 
3. OneDrive: This cloud storage service provides five terabytes (5TB) of storage. You can easily upload and organize documents, photos, and files, making them accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. This is a huge amount of space, so don’t worry about using up all your online storage.
4. OneNote: Create, organize, sync, tag, and search notes in digital notebooks for classes, meetings, and to do lists from anywhere, at any time.

Tips for decluttering your digital workspace 

Here are some valuable tips for decluttering and keeping an organized digital workspace: 

1. Create folders: Just as you would organize physical papers into folders, create digital folders to categorize your files. Use clear, descriptive names to make it easy to find specific documents. Using OneDrive, you’ll always have your documents in the cloud for easy access.
2. Adopt a naming convention: Set up a consistent file naming convention to make files easily searchable. Include dates or keywords in the file names for quick reference.
3. Delete unnecessary files: Take some time to review your files and remove anything you no longer need. This will free up valuable storage space and reduce clutter.
4. Schedule time to stay organized: Make it a habit to organize your digital workspace regularly. Dedicate a few minutes each week to decluttering and organizing to prevent future chaos.

National Clean Desktop Day is an excellent opportunity to start fresh and commit to keeping an organized digital and physical workspace. With the resources available to all Bobcats, you can declutter and boost your productivity. So, let’s embrace this opportunity and create an environment that promotes efficiency and reduces stress. Happy organizing! 

Rebecca Ormsby is a communications specialist in the IT Marketing and Communications office.