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Most people would agree that they would prefer to live clutter-free if given the choice. Research shows that clutter increases one’s stress level. Furthermore, the increased stress level can affect your body, your mood, and your behavior in a negative way. This article is focused on how to declutter by sharing the best techniques to tackle the problem once and for all.
| “Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.” Barbara Hemphill |
How to declutter?
1. The assessment
Before you embark on the decluttering journey, ask yourself a few questions.
What does a clutter-free environment look like to you?
Find a few pictures of tidy homes that you would call clutter-free. You can even use a friend’s or family member’s home as a reference. This is SUPER important. We do not all have the same definition or idea when discussing clutter. You should determine what your goal is before you move any further with this process.
Where do you currently fall on the clutter scale?
On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being a perfectly (to you) decluttered home, where do you currently fall? Where do you currently fall based on the ideal state for your home you have just identified above? Would you evaluate your entire home the same way? Are some areas of your home a 1 where perhaps others are a 4?
These 2 steps are important. They help you define your ideal and understand how far you are from achieving it. In the next section, we will look at different decluttering methods and this initial assessment may help you pick the best technique for you.
| “Your home is living space, not storage space.” Francine Jay |
2. The methods
A) One room at a time
In this method, you select a room to start with and work on decluttering it until it is to the level you’ve identified during your assessment. This method can be overwhelming, especially if you have rated the room a 1 or 2 on the scale. Don’t rush through it and allow for ample time to get through the decluttering, even if it spans over a few days.
Have marked areas for keeping, donating, selling, and throwing away/recycling. Put these areas outside of the room you are decluttering.
Start in one corner of the room and work in a clockwork manner.
Find a good permanent place for the items you wish to keep. If they belong outside of the room you are currently cleaning, place them in a basket so that you can relocate them later. Leaving the room now is likely going to make you lose your focus.
Once you are done, take the trash/recycle immediately out to where it belongs.
Take the items to donate to your car to take them to the donation center (or a friend’s house) the next time you go out.
Lastly, place the items to sell in a basket or bin. I strongly encourage you to have a clear plan of how and when you will sell the items. Don’t fall into the trap of keeping items to sell when you know you will never get around to doing it.
B) Time-based
This method is great if your schedule is such that you never have a full day or even half day to dedicate to this. It allows you to eat the elephant one bite at a time while achieving steady results.
Set a timer for a specific amount of time every day to declutter.
Pick a room or theme for the day, such as dirty dishes, trash, books, toys, etc.
Start the timer and spend the entire time dedicated to decluttering.
Repeat each day until the house is in maintenance mode. Then put a plan in place to keep your house nice and decluttered.
It is important to follow some of the same guidelines that were identified in the “one room at a time” method of how to declutter. For example, make sure the items you are moving are going to a permanent home, the trash, recycle bin, your car for donation, or a dedicated area for items you wish to sell.
It is possible with this method to lose momentum as time goes by. Take pictures as you go. This will help you see your progress and remain motivated.
C) 10 items a day
This is a great technique for those motivated by measurable goals. It is super simple, and over time, will yield great results.
This method is particularly helpful for those who don’t only need to tidy up, but have too much stuff and need to get rid of things.
The method is as easy to understand as it implies. Each day, find 10 items in your home to trash, donate, or sell. After 6 months, you will have removed 1,800 items from your home!!!!
This way of decluttering also eases you into the process. The first several days should be relatively easy. You won’t struggle to find things to remove from the home. Simply put, you won’t have emotional decisions to make. As time goes by, you will have less obvious things to discard and will need to become more mindful.
| “Enough is a decision, not an amount. ” Alison Faulkner |
3. Best tips on how to declutter
- Put your “maybe keep” items in a storage bin. Close the bin and write today’s date on it. If you have not opened the bin to retrieve any of the items in 6 months, donate the entire content.
- Spend 15 minutes every night tidying up your home. You will be amazed how much gets done in just 15 minutes.
- Every time you bring something new into your home, discard something.
- Rotate decoration items each season. It will allow you to display items in a way they are appreciated without your house looking overly cluttered.
- Focus on quality over quantity. This applies to so many things such as beauty products and clothing items. Learn how to declutter your clothing items here.
- Find easy and convenient storage that works for your house. For example, have hooks that children can reach to hang their bags and coats.
- Go easy on your “backup pantry”. It’s great that peanut butter is on sale but you still probably don’t need 8 jars.
- Don’t keep something just because it was a gift. After all, when is the last time you asked someone about a gift you gave them?
- Use the 90/90 rule. Did you use it in the past 90 days? Will you use it in the next 90 days? If not, you probably don’t need it.
- Ask yourself if someone would appreciate the items more than you. My husband just started selling his old toys and collectibles. They were boxed up in the basement and he figured someone would get much more joy from them.
- Don’t fall into the usual clutter trap such as letting the mail pile up, the dirty clothes on the floor, or the dishes in the sink. Use the one-touch method for all of these. Once you touch something, only put it down to put it where it belongs.
- Learn how to become “that friend” that always has a clean house.
| “Happiness is a place between too little and too much.” Finnish proverb |
In conclusion
Decluttering is achievable for those who are committed. It isn’t easy, but with the right mindset, preparation, and patience you will reach your goals. I encourage you to experiment with these different methods and tips. Adapt what you learn and find how to declutter your way.
Best of luck to you and thank you for reading.
Cat xx