One thing that is obvious and common to most of us is the more we own the more we want. This leads to only one thing – hoarding and cluttering our lives with things that will not or cannot be used anymore.
Now don’t get me wrong there are things in our lives that have that certain emotional value and those things don’t and cannot ever fall into what we are talking about today.
Decluttering can be a great way to reduce stress and free up some much-needed space in the home. It can also help you to cut down on your daily domestic tasks, and you might even find that you have more free time when you have less cleaning and organising to do. How many of you out there woke up one day and figured that you have a garage or a closet that you haven’t used for the purpose that it is intended for years because it is stuffed up or filled to the braking with things that are no longer needed and valued?! This is why we all need to declutter our living spaces and our lives at least once a year.
Decluttering will not just leave you more space it will do other things that are beneficial to your life and your health. Learning how to declutter can help you to live a much calmer lifestyle, will improve the appearance of your home and could even help you to save money, as you’ll end up spending less on items that ultimately end up as “clutter” after a few months or weeks of use. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to declutter your home with ease:
Start small
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Rome wasn’t built in a day – and you don’t have to declutter in a day, either. Start with five minutes here and there, and before you know it, you’ll have built enough momentum to be on your way to being clutter-free. A good plan of work is always a good option.
By planning what to do, for how long and when will give you a general idea of the amount of work you need and the time it will take you to do it. This way you can plan other activities in your life accordingly.
Get rid of one item every day
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During your decluttering process, try to donate one item to a worthy cause each day. You can do this by taking an unwanted item to a charity shop, or by offering an item for free on social media.
This is a great way to give something back to the community, plus it is always a good thing to donate because as they say – one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Maybe you make someone happy with a thing or two and that will give you additional zest to keep the job going.
Identity clothes you don’t wear
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To find out which clothes you wear (and crucially, which ones you don’t), simply hang all your clothing with the hangers facing in reverse. When you wear an item, place it back on the hanger, but in the correct direction. From here, you can discard any clothes that haven’t been touched and remain on reverse hangers after the course of a few weeks or months.
Consider self-storage
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Sometimes, we simply cannot bear to part with certain clothes, furniture or appliances, even if we don’t particularly wear or use them often. If this sounds familiar, why not consider renting a self-storage unit at Safestore? Similarly, you may consider a portable self-storage unit so you have the added benefit of the unit being delivered to your home.
This way, you can retain important items while still decluttering the home. This is of course an advice for those of you that don’t have enough space and are not trying to get rid of certain things. This also goes for those things that have an emotional value or that are too special to you. If you can’t have them in or near your home then self-storage is the key.
Ask friends and family for help
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Many hands make light work, and with a friend or family member, your decluttering process should be much quicker. They may also be able to help you rationalise why you should get rid of some items. If you defend an item and want to keep it, try listening to the opinion of your friends and family. If they agree with your reasoning, keep the item. If not, get rid.
View your home as a first-time visitor
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When you live amongst clutter, it’s easy to forget how others perceive your home. Try to get in the mindset of “what would my acquaintances think if they walked in?”, as this will help you to identify key areas that need decluttering.
Un-normal things become normal when you spend enough time in that state. This is why you need to distance yourself from your perception of normal and step back from time to time to get the best image of the current state of your life and your home is. This is when changes start and when they are easy.
Take before-and-after photos
This is purely for recognition of your success and it’s meant for you only. This will help you see everything the way it was and it will show you just what a magnificent job you managed to do.
Take a picture before you start the job and once you’ve decluttered your space, take another photo and compare it to what your home looked like beforehand.
If needs be, keep the cluttered photo in a prominent space, as a constant reminder of the positive effects decluttering has had on your home and your mind.
Conclusion
Remember, there’s no time like the present when it comes to decluttering. Everything that can be done today, never postpone for tomorrow, this is the thing that should resonate with everyone and this is how the mess starts in the first place.
If you need to start decluttering, take a deep breath and start small, then consider arranging things like self-storage or trips to the charity shop after you’ve gotten into full swing. Good luck, and remember to stay minimal as possible!
