So you’re on your phone, scrolling through text messages, your contacts or even your social media, and you come across someone you can’t place. You absolutely cannot remember who that person is, where you met them or how they got your number in the first place. It happens to the best of us, but it is a surefire sign that you need to detox your phone. Going through your phone on a regular basis helps save space and gives you the opportunity to give your phone a new vibe, which you can’t do with a lot of clutter (i.e., people you don’t like, bad photos and old conversations). This can also be applied to social media. Don’t feel bad for not following someone that you don’t know or don’t like and feel free to unfollow them if you don’t enjoy what they’re posting; some people are better at being loved from a distance. The point is, don’t invite energy into your phone that you don’t want into your life. As one of the things that we use the most in our lives, it often is one of the most neglected. Cleaning your phone inside and out can even eliminate stress, especially when you get rid of the toxic people who may still hold a place on your phone. Cleaning up your phone can take a weight off your chest and put everything into a different light, not to mention that there isn’t much else going on in quarantine and self-isolation.
It starts with going through your text messages, deleting conversations that are more than three months old unless they contain important information, in which case you can screenshot. You should also take this time to block any unwanted or unsolicited numbers and unsubscribe from store and restaurant advertisement texts, because how many times has that actually led you to making a purchase?
Next, you need to go through your contacts. Get rid of people you don’t like, ex’s, people you can’t remember, old coworkers or anyone you find toxic in your life or who you just don’t like.
These next two may be more difficult, but go through your photo gallery and get rid of photos you hate, photos of old class notes, people you don’t like, old screenshots you don’t need any more or photos that you don’t look good in. This one may make the most difference (at least it does for me) because an overcrowded photo gallery can make you feel overwhelmed and anxious.
Lastly, go through your social media (yes, all of it) and unfriend or unfollow anyone you don’t have in your life anymore, anyone that doesn’t bring you joy and anyone who is just toxic for you. This one can also make a world of difference because of how often we are on social media, so cleaning this up can completely change your mindset.
Now it’s time to revamp your phone. Try choosing a new background, ringtone and text tone. Also, give the special people in your life their own personalized ringtones or text tones. Don’t forget to wipe down your phone front and back, as well as the case, inside and out, with a disinfectant, then a microfiber cloth. If you’re feeling really special, try looking for a new phone case to really give it a new vibe.