Spring Cleaning: 8 Tips to Declutter Your Online Dating Profile

spring

I love spring cleaning. Honestly, I love cleaning all year round, but it’s more fun during spring because it seems like everyone wants to join in. There’s something about fresh starts and clean air that inspires people to jump on board and rejuvenate their space and lives. 

A space a lot of people forget, I think, is their digital space. I delete my browser history, empty my little desktop trash can, clear out my downloads folder, and delete old files and duplicate pictures.

But when it comes to online cleaning, you can do even more.

Take your dating profile, for instance.

Whether you’ve been online dating for a few weeks or a few years, chances are you could stand for anything from a light dusting to a complete overhaul.

We aren’t static in real life, so we shouldn’t keep a static online dating presence either—we need to show that we’re real people and give our profiles the attention they deserve!

1. Start with the top 

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The picture! My argument for changing a picture usually has to do with being honest about what you look like.

We all change in appearance as we grow in life—bigger, smaller, shorter hair, new accessories—and in online dating, you need to be honest about who you are, starting with the picture. 

But during spring cleaning, change your picture no matter what! Even if you look the same or you love your picture, find a chance to take a new one that you love even more.

Get out in the sunshine, smiling, and snap an authentic moment to share.

2. Remove out of date information

happy woman

These little details can slip through the cracks easily.

Do you still work in the same field?

Live in the same area?

Now’s the time to check! While you’re at it, go ahead and check your other social profiles too. I myself just realized I haven’t added my current day job to any of my profiles yet—and I’ve been here since November!

3. Revisit your preferences

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Part of why I love to clean is because it helps me to frame old things in new ways. Suddenly, a piece of furniture or space in my house appears totally different to me—now I see it as a bookshelf, or a place to store my stepkiddo’s shoes! 

In the same way, go back to the preferences you set up when you started. Have you learned something new about yourself that will make you say, “You know what? Married before isn’t actually the deal breaker I thought it would be.” Or, “After my last bad experience, I want to say zero smokers from here on out.”

Whatever the change, make sure your preferences reflect you as you are now—not as you were when you signed up.

4. Make the information you keep count

online dating

Declutter your bio. What information is there that can go?

As a copywriter, I’m always looking for the shortest way to say something. That way, the information leaves an impact.

There’s a lot to be said for beautiful monologues, but it’s the one-liners in our favorite movies that are easiest to memorize and stick with us for good reason!

5. Add some new information

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Are there questions you’ve left blank?

Options for expressing yourself that you’ve been neglecting?

Take a minute to look them over and add thoughtful responses. Decluttering doesn’t mean just getting rid of things. It also means you can re-purpose what exists in better ways.

6. Reorganize!

online dating

What pictures or answers get the most attention? Put those first.

If certain facts yield better or more conversations, make those readily available for new potential matches. 

7. Empty that online dating inbox

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Make room for new matches. Get rid of old matches that didn’t pan out, and give yourself a clean canvas to meet even more awesome people.

8. Declutter your mind

online dating

Maybe you have notions about online dating, or you’ve seen too much and you’ve been jaded. This Spring, take a moment to shake it off.

Go into new matches with an open mind, and see what opportunities you may find. 

It’s easy to get discouraged when you search for something you may not find. But there’s a lot to be said for the power of finding something you weren’t looking for at all.

Happy cleaning!