Blog Posts

9/15/2019

How to Tackle Your Clutter

Read Now

If you look around your space and feel overwhelmed by all the stuff and don’t know how to start taming the chaos, use the list below to tackle your clutter and take control of your environment.

Rubbish Roundup - Before you can begin the decluttering process, you need to do a Rubbish Roundup. Grab a trash bag and walk through every room in your house throwing away every bit of garbage that you see. Don’t forget things like old magazines, bad batteries, fast food cups, wrappers, and so forth.
Big Money - Take look around for large items you could sell. Things like furniture, appliances, large toys, etc. If you’re not using them, why not make some money? You could have a traditional yard sale or go the modern route and post the items for sale online through Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Varage Sale, Letgo, or OfferUp. The online sites often bring in more money than a traditional sale.
Goods for the Greater Good - As you walk through your space, gather up linens, blankets, and towels you no longer need and donate them to your local animal shelter. If you have books your kids no longer read give them to their school (the teachers will love you!). Daycares go through a lot of toys and would be overjoyed to take in your gently used children's toys.
Hot Spot Signals - No, I’m not talking about Wi-Fi. I’m referring to those areas in your space signaling for help. Those areas are where clutter seems to naturally gravitate and pile up….your hot spots. Walk through your space and make note of those areas. Write them down if you need to.
Homeless Clutter – Using your list from number four, you’re going to create a home for all the homeless clutter accumulating in your hot spots. Place baskets, bins, small boxes, whatever you have into those hot spots to corral that clutter. Give all your items a home, including your keys, purse, papers, mementos, etc. Assign a home for everything.
Worst-Case Scenario – If you find yourself struggling to get rid of things or aren’t sure what to let go of, ask yourself what is the worst thing that could happen by letting the item go. Let's say you have 20 different food storage containers but you really only use 5 regularly. You want to keep the other fifteen in case you need them in the future even though they take up an entire cabinet in your kitchen. If you get rid of those extra containers you are guaranteed to free up valuable space in the kitchen while the worst-case scenario is you MIGHT have to buy a few containers someday in the future.
Expired Contents – When you are on the fence about letting go of something for fear you may need it in the near future, place it in a box. On the outside of the container write an expiration date six months or one year from now (do not write the contents!). Then seal the box. If you have not opened it by the expiration date, take the unopened box and donate it. Don’t open it! That will just have you rethinking whether or not to keep it. If you haven’t used it by the date, you clearly don’t need it. Let it go.
Making Time – Do you want to know how to eat an elephant? Take one bite at a time. The same goes for your clutter. No matter how big your project is, you can conquer it bit by bit. If you don’t have hours to dedicate to decluttering, take 15 minutes here and there. Do one drawer at a time. Scale down your bathroom contents while your kids are in the tub. Wherever you can squeeze a few minutes in to get rid of clutter, do it! Before you know it your space will be clutter-free.
Full Cycle – Combat clutter by finishing the cycle. If you run the dishwasher, put the dishes away when it’s done. After making dinner, put the ingredients away. When you do laundry wash, dry, AND put it away. I know many people who wash their clothes and leave them in the washer for days to mildew. Others leave their clean laundry in a basket or on a chair without ever putting them back in the drawer or closet. If you want to keep clutter at bay, do the full cycle in your tasks.

Removing clutter from your surroundings not only improves your physical environment, but it also improves your emotional well-being and mental health. YOU CAN DO THIS. Take one step at a time and keep at it. Join my Facebook group, Clutter Cricket – Decluttering, Organizing, and Cleaning, for tips, tricks, and support from myself and others who are on a journey to a clutter-free space.

Be sure to check me out on social media at:
Facebook
Facebook Support Group
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram

0 Comments

9/14/2019

Why Declutter?

1 Comment

Read Now

Decluttering is more than just an aesthetic activity. Of course, we all want a beautiful space, but removing clutter does so much more than free up room, it’s therapeutic. Our stuff represents us, our lives, and believe it or not, our emotions. We are our things. When we tackle those excess items, we not only lighten our environment, we lift a weight off of ourselves as individuals.

Niecy Nash, the host of the popular TV show Clean House, said it best, "Clutter is an outward expression of an inward thing." I didn't know how true that was when I first heard it. Over the years, I came to realize my space reflected whatever was going on in my head and my heart. Some people say it’s just stuff. That “stuff” speaks. It tells a story.

Hoarders are the most obvious example of inner turmoil being reflected outwardly. Most hoarders are extremely organized people who have suffered some sort of loss or trauma, which has manifested itself into the inability to let go, leading to a home that's bursting at the seams. That is why hoarders need counseling to be able to declutter their home because it's not about the stuff. It’s about what the stuff represents.

An acquaintance of mine shared her story with me. Her boyfriend had been unfaithful which ended the relationship. She had a folder full of emails, letters, photographs, receipts, and credit card statements proving his indiscretions. She held on to that folder for over fifteen years. Think about that. Fifteen years of being reminded of what happened, of betrayal, of loss. Fifteen years of anger, sadness, and pain. Despite how that folder made her feel, she struggled to let it go. It took the motivation of a friend for her to finally take that folder and throw it in the trash. What happened when she did that was a turning point. By letting go of that folder, she was able to let go of everything it represented. All the hurt and negative emotions went into the garbage right along with that folder. Then, she forgave him. And with that, tons of sadness was lifted off her soul. She was finally free.

Decluttering means so much more than changing our physical surroundings, it changes our mental health and emotional well-being. Letting go of items helps to let go of what those items represent, bringing closure, relief, and even inner-peace. It brings a sense of calm to the space and the emotions. Tackle your clutter head-on. It may seem scary or overwhelming, but it will liberate you and improve your life.

Tell me, what does your clutter say about you? Let me know in the comments below.

Check me out on my social media links below. Don’t forget to sign up for email notifications so you never miss a thing!

1 Comment

How to Tackle Your Clutter

Sign up for email alerts!

Why Declutter?

Sign Up For Email Alerts!

Author

Archives

Categories