Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
Over the years you accumulate a lot of stuff. The things you buy and the things you are given start to add up and take up space in your home if you do not regularly sort through them and remove them from your life. This only gets more prevalent when your family starts to grow, when children come along they come along with a lot of stuff too. Stuff that ends up being kept and stored away for years on end, stuff that ultimately becomes clutter in your house and your mind.
Photo credit; Zarek Khan from Pexels
Table of Contents
Why is this a problem?
Ok so having a lot of possessions doesn’t necessarily sound like a bad thing. Especially if these are things you have actively chosen to spend your hard-earned money on. However, it is commonly understood that excess belongings or clutter can have a negative impact on your wellbeing. Studies have shown that unwanted clutter can make people feel more stressed or even embarrassed. In extreme cases where clutter is a result of hoarding and the ability to let go of things, it can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety. On a practical level, having a house full of clutter can result in you spending longer looking for things that are harder to find because of all of the clutter.
Why declutter your home?
If clutter is a stressor in your life then it stands to reason that removing that clutter can help relieve you of some of the stress you feel. It can also have a knock-on effect on feelings of control and accomplishment. Practically it will free up space in your home, make it look and feel more organised and help you know where everything is.
When it comes to decluttering many people wait for a big event, such as a house move or renovation but ultimately there is no wrong time to start decluttering and learning to live with less stuff. The benefits are plentiful so why put it off any longer than you need to? So if you are considering decluttering your home but do not know where to start consider this helpful guide to get you started and keep you on track.
1. Understand what clutter is
It sounds obvious but if you don’t know the true definition of clutter you will find it hard to declutter and remove things from your life. Throughout your decluttering process keep this definition in mind.
Clutter is anything that does not add value to your life
So when you are decluttering you want to be actively making space for things in your home and your life that truly matter and add value to your life.
2. Make a plan
If you start with the goal of ‘decluttering your entire home’ you won’t get anywhere. As with any goal setting, you need to have clear and defined goals with a manageable plan to bring those goals to fruition. Break down your goals into smaller manageable tasks, start with a room at a time or even a storage item at a time. Also, set yourself a time limit for these rooms or items, it will help you stay on track and avoid spending unnecessary time deliberating over items or procrastinating. Ensure that you set manageable timelines to avoid undue frustrations, remember some spaces will take longer than others so be sure to dedicate the appropriate amount of time to those areas.
Top tip for getting started; Identify some of the most important places that you want to get started on, perhaps the most cluttered or most stressful part of your house. Alternatively, you could implement a grading system and grade areas of your house in terms of severity and importance and work through them one by one.
Finally, ensure that you are prepared for the task at hand. If you are going on a decluttering blitz and tackling the whole house in a few days, have you got the means to do it? Where are going to put all of the items you no longer want? Will you need to book appointments to local tip? Have you got enough bags to store the items you might donate? Your plan must be sufficient that it covers not only the areas you want to de-clutter but what you are going to do with the stuff you no longer wish to keep.
A top tip; if you are clearing out a large proportion of your house, perhaps for a move or renovation consider hiring a skip. A skip can be dropped off on your driveway making it easier to dump the things your no longer want. If you hire a big enough skip it can also be a motivator to fill it. What is more, skips are more affordable than you think, if you are considering hiring a skip then look to providers such as Sheridan Skips to find out more about the cost and services offered.
3. Your sorting system
When it comes to decluttering it can be hard knowing what to do with all of the things you now have. To help break it down and make it easier to re-direct your items to their new home consider implementing a sorting system. Your storing system can be adapted to fit your particular needs but it should have three basic components, keep, get rid of and storage.
- Keep; first is your keep box. The only things that should be going into your keep box are things that add value to your life, remember the definition? Things that you absolutely need and that have a purpose to be in your home. Ask yourself every time you are deciding on an item, ‘does it add value to my life and what is that value?’ Once you complete a space or room and have all the items you intend to keep in this box, empty it and make sure you can find a suitable home for each and everything that you have kept. A home that should allow for these items to be neatly stored away. This should help you keep on top of your organisation (and stress levels) once the decluttering is complete.
Top tips; when filling this box ask yourself some of these questions
– Does it work? If not, can you and will you fix it?
– When was the last time you used it? And when was the last time you needed it?
– Do you love it? - Get rid of box; ideally, this should be your most populated box. Everything that you no longer have use for should be in this box. Everything that doesn’t add value to your life or have a purpose, should also be in this box. Once you have filled this box empty it out and then decide if the items can be donated, sold, or thrown away. Anything that is being thrown away should go straight in the skip if you have one, the bin, or loaded into the car to be taken to their next destination. Do not be tempted to keep items in this box and store them somewhere else such as a garage or shed. It will only remain as clutter there and defeat the purpose of your declutter.
Top tip; carefully consider what items you can sell. You would be surprised what you could make money from. Facebook Marketplace can be a great place to sell household items, eBay can be great for clothing and selling apps such as Shpok are a great place to sell old toys. - The storage box; this box should not be full but it is an essential part of the process. You will have some items that hold sentimental value or that perhaps are seasonal, such as the Christmas decorations. This box should be stored away somewhere sensible and out of sight.
Top tip; label your storage box or complete an inventory of exactly what is in each box. This will help you feel more organised and in control of what you have and where it is.
Photo credit; Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
- Avoid it from happening again
If you truly want to live with less decluttering is only part of the journey. Going forward you have to take proactive steps to avoid clutter building up once again. Here are some ways in which you can do it.
Remove unwanted and unneeded items every day
Everybody has common clutter that can build up on a daily basis, mail, clothes, toys, shoes, etc. If you dedicate just 10 minutes a day to clearing clutter that is lying around and be sure to get rid of things you don’t need. there then you will help to prevent the clutter from rebuilding.
One in one out
If you bring something new into your home it is to replace something you already have. Something new comes in then something old goes out.
Do I really need it?
Before you buy something new ask yourself, does it add value to my life? Do I really need it and where will I keep it? If you answer no to these then don’t bring it back to your home and certainly don’t bring it back if you don’t know where you are going to keep it.
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