Tips for Easy Decluttering

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the chaos in your life? Whether it’s the clutter in your house or in your mind, here are some steps you can do to make decluttering easy peasy.

Decluttering can be a bit overwhelming when you look around your home and there’s so much to clean up. Oftentimes, we don’t realize how many things we have accumulated over the years until we need to move out or need extra space.

Here are some easy steps to declutter.

Visualize

Before you start, look around. Whether it’s the living room, the kitchen, or your bedroom, visualize how the space would look if there was no clutter in it. Would you be able to invite friends over and have a relaxing coffee time in your living room? Will you be able to prepare food in a breeze in your kitchen if you know where everything you needed is located? Will you be able to sleep better if you’re bed is made-up and the room is tidy?

With that in mind, start working to make your vision into reality and free that space.

Start small.

Start with things like trash, paper boxes, take-out containers, old magazines, and newspapers. These can easily be disposed of because they’re not important.

You can also start with the bathroom and dispose of empty bottles of shampoo, conditioner, or toothpaste. Clean up your pantry or refrigerator by throwing out expired and moldy foods. Once you set your intention of removing these items, it can give you the momentum you needed to get the ball rolling.

Dispose of your clutter immediately.

Sometimes, we think that by organizing our things, we are already decluttering. There is a difference. Organized clutter is still clutter. If you want to clear up space, you have to dispose of all the excess stuff and then organize what’s left. Dispose of the clutter immediately. Throw it in the trash or donate it lest you forget about it.

Focus on one area at a time.

Don’t be tempted to clear several areas by picking up an item here and there. (I sometimes do this!) Believe me, this is very inefficient and will only leave you feeling more overwhelmed than ever. Aside from getting tired, this will not make a significant impact on your organizing. Focus on one area and finish it before moving on to the next.

Let go of the things you don’t need.

Let’s face it. Sometimes we keep on hanging on to things we consider of sentimental value even if they’re no longer serving us, like old toys that are favorites of our kids when they were younger. Maybe we’re not ready to let it go yet because of the memories they represent. Instead of letting it sit on the shelf unwanted, collecting dust, and taking up space, why not donate it to an orphanage? That unwanted toy might bring up some smiles in another kid.

Stop waiting for the right time. Just do it!

Stop postponing clearing up your space because you are waiting for the right time uninterrupted by kids or other activities. There will never be a perfect time. Procrastinating will not get you anywhere. Instead, break down your tasks into manageable ones and do it from beginning to end before you move on to another task.

Celebrate your wins.

Take the time to admire the fruits of your effort. Tidying up your living room may be the push you needed to accomplish something else. Seeing a cleaner, more relaxing space can give you the boost you need knowing that you have made progress.

Still feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start? Here’s a bonus: have an accountability partner. Ask your friend to check in on your progress or send photos of what you’ve accomplished for the day. Better yet, post it on your social media. Who knows, maybe you can also inspire your friends and others to start decluttering their homes as well!