If clutter is making your home feel claustrophobic, the idea of living a simplified, organized life with less stuff probably sounds like a dream. Making this dream into reality doesn’t have to be difficult though. In fact, it can be quite simple. Here are four easy ways to declutter your space:
1. Make a list.
Create a list of all the places or areas in your home you’d like to declutter. Start with the easiest or smallest area; then, once that area has been successfully decluttered, stop and take a break. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself by trying to declutter every room in your house at once, so start small. Do one room in the morning and then another in the afternoon to avoid frustration and stay on track.
2. Make a sorting system.
As you go through the rooms in your house, you will find that you may need a system for sorting the items you find. You can create your own method, or you can try out the popular Three-Box Method of sorting clutter. With this method you will need three boxes: one for items you want to keep, one for items you want to get rid of, and one fore items you want to put in storage. This forces you to make a decision item by item, so you don’t end up with even more clutter than you had to begin with.
3. Consider letting go.
If you haven’t used something within the last 6 months, you should probably get rid of it. If you didn’t miss the item enough to use it or even remember that you even had it, then you probably don’t need it. A good trick to try with clothes that you haven’t worn in a while is whenever you wear a piece of clothing from your closet over the course of a year, put it back facing the opposite direction as the other items in your closet. This way you’ll be able to easily see what you have worn, and what you haven’t. If you haven’t worn something in a full year, get rid of it.
4. Donate it or trash it.
Deciding to get rid of your old things may actually be the hardest part of decluttering. If you’re like the vast majority of people, you’ll probably have trouble getting rid of something that you spent your hard-earned money on. A lot of the items you find will have more than just a monetary value; they will remind you of different memories and have a more sentimental value. With these things in mind, it’s important to think about where you want these things that you no longer use to wind up. Clothes, shoes, and other household items that are in good condition can be donated to local charities. Or, if you’re up to the task, you may be able to make a little money off your stuff by having a garage sale! Check to see if your neighborhood or homeowner’s association has a designated garage sale date. The last option of course, is to just trash the items you no longer need. If your items are in bad shape, it’s probably a good idea to just throw them out.
Decluttering your home might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but the feeling of relief and accomplishment you’ll have once it’s done is sublime. With a little work, you’ll be able to relax in the comfort of a clean, organized home where everything is in its proper place—including you!
