How to Declutter Your Home
It goes without saying that we all have a few excess things we haven’t seen in a while, or things we don’t need anymore.
W
ell, some of us may have more than a little but we all stand to benefit from decluttering out homes. It’s crucial to note that clutter can be bad for your health. Psychology Today has it that people feel less in control of their lives when they surround themselves with more things than they can manage. A messy home can be a cause of stress. So if you’re not dealing with the clutter in your home, you’re also not taking good care of yourself. It’s a good idea for the sake of your physical and psychological health to declutter your home.
Decluttering is associated with several benefits. People who declutter report having a greater sense of accomplishment and control. For others, decluttering creates extra space in the house, making room for the things that matter. Excess clutter, on the other hand, comes with feelings of disorganization and a few tips on how to declutter can be extremely valuable.
Visualize
Before you start decluttering, it helps to take a moment to look at your rooms, and think about how you want them to look. Think about the things that don’t belong in the room and identify the most essential pieces of furniture. A few minutes of visualizing will help you to figure out the things that are most essential and those you can do without.
Set Goals
Make a plan. Regardless of how much clutter or how many rooms you have, starting with specific goals will help you come up with a plan that will make the process much easier. Write down a map of all rooms and specific clutter areas you want to tackle. Prioritize your time by ranking spaces based on the severity of clutter. It’s also important to set completion dates and plan time to work on specific areas that may need more time.
Have a Starting Zone
If you’re overwhelmed with clutter and don’t know where to start, start small. The secret to successful decluttering is to start by clearing one area and move progressively. Whether it’s the corridor to your bedroom, your kitchen table or living room shelf, the area chosen should be your clutter-free zone. Be sure to make a rule that anything placed there should be in use and everything else must be put away. Once your zone is free of any junk, keep it that way. Then, slowly expand your no-clutter zone until your whole house is decluttered.
Schedule A Decluttering Day or Weekend
Maybe decluttering has just crossed your mind, and you don’t have the time to do it right away. But if you take the time to schedule it for a later date, you can clear your schedule and even get your family involved. Get trash bags and boxes ready, and plan a yard sale or trip to a charity to drop off unwanted items. You might not get the entire house decluttered in a weekend but you’ll certainly make great progress.
Clear Flat Surfaces
Flat surfaces such as shelves ad counter tops are clutter-magnets. It’s OK to keep a few things on counter tops, but work towards keeping your flat surfaces free of clutter. Only keep essential small appliances and frequently used items on countertops, the rest should be put in drawers, bins, small boxes or put away to be donated if you don’t use them.
Keep Like Things Together
Categorizing things as you go through them is crucial to organizing your home. Keeping like things together makes your life easier and forces you to organize your home. Storing like items close to where you use them will certainly make it easier for you to know where they are when you need them. Choose a sorting system that works for you.
Get Rid of the Excess Clothes
As you’re getting ready for your day, pull out some of the clothes you haven’t worn in a few months. Consider storing seasonal clothes in a box and get rid of the rest. You don’t have to do it all at once but with time, your closet and drawers will contain only stuff you actually wear.
Papers
Papers often account for a large percentage of clutter. And that’s because we put them in different spots in the house — on the living room table, on the counter, on the reading desk, on top of the dresser. No wonder the house looks so disorganized. Designate a spot in the house or some form of inbox tray and put down all papers at that spot. Such a simple change can work wonders for your soul.
Creating New Spaces
If you’re already drowning from lack of sufficient floor space, clearing things up off the floor should help. It’s also worth looking at the position of furniture and moving it into more space-efficient areas. Moving your living room table over a bit will demonstrate what difference a few inches can do to bring in a feeling of extra space.
Commit Yourself
Getting rid of stuff is not easy, especially if you value the memories connected with possessions. Choosing to toss away some old things may be the most challenging part of decluttering. It is crucial to acknowledge the emotions that can result from the process, and accept that we don’t need to keep all the objects connected with our memories. The trick is to mentally prepare yourself and remember that you don’t have to feel guilty about putting things you don’t need in the trash.
Constant Editing
As time goes by, we make new purchases and forget to get rid of old unused items. Throughout the year, evaluate the items in your house and evaluate whether or not you need all of the items you see. There’s no harm in selling valuable items that you don’t need anymore, at least that makes partying with some belongings much easier because you get something in return. Donating gives you an opportunity to share items you don’t need with someone who will appreciate them. In this case, when you declutter your home it helps others as well as yourself.