Decluttering has become a bit of a hot topic of late. With the world still in the thrawls of a pandemic and stay-at-home orders in place, it seems everyone is finally finding time to get rid of the unwanted items that have been invading their spaces and causing stress for so long.
But not everyone is finding this an easy task. For some of us, it comes fairly naturally to keep clutter to a minimum on a regular basis. For others, not so much. It can be overwhelming, not knowing where to start or how to keep the motivation going if you do start. But there are many ways we can develop our ability to effectively declutter.
I like to think of decluttering as an art form, rather than a science. Art can be defined as “a skill at doing a specific thing, typically one acquired through practice”. Did you catch that? The key word – PRACTICE!!! This means you have to work at it, repeatedly. Learning to declutter is no different than learning to play an instrument, learning to play a sport or learning skills for a new job. Like any other skill or art form, in order to get better at it you need to “regularly perform the activity in order to acquire and maintain proficiency at it”.
Sounds hard, right? Not worth your time? I would have to disagree.
There are many simple and easy ways to hone your decluttering skills. And if you really want to change the way you feel about your physical surroundings, it IS well worth your time and effort. The payoff is huge. Can you imagine having a room, office or entire home that you love being in? One that doesn’t feel crowded, messy, overwhelming or stressful to be in. Believe me, learning the art of decluttering is one of the best gifts you can give yourself.
Here are some easy methods to help you begin your decluttering journey…
Before you tackle a full out organizing project, some less intense decluttering can help you get into the right mindset and hone your decision making skills.
- Set a timer for a set amount of time – even as little as 10-20 minutes. Spend time going through your house finding things you no longer need or use. When the time is up, you’re done! Place any items in a box to donate or sell.
- Challenge your family – designate a length of time – a week, or a month – and see which family member can find the most things in that period of time to donate, sell or throw out
- Do it on a daily basis – keep your eyes open at all times. Keep a donation box or bag somewhere in your house so items can be added to it on an ongoing basis. Choosing one item a day for an entire month is an easy challenge that leads to big results.
- Start with non-sentimental items such as clothing or toys. Once you find success with items you are less attached to, you can move towards tackling the hard stuff.
- Find a decluttering buddy to help you get started and keep you accountable. Sometimes it helps to share your decluttering successes and failures with a friend. Reach out to professionals if you need extra help and support. Professional Organizers specialize in the art of decluttering and organizing, and can give you the boost you need to help you reach your goals.
- Realize that decluttering is not a once and done thing but it does become easier. Decluttering will be a lifelong process, but once you practice and develop good habits, it will not seem as overwhelming as it once did.
Focusing on decluttering for a period of time can lead to great results and can give you the motivation and momentum to tackle a larger organizing project. Once you are able to clear some things you no longer need or want, you will feel like a weight is lifted. Sometimes we are not even aware of how much clutter weighs down our day to day life.
So, take the time. Take the time to practice decluttering, to learn and develop this new skill. If your end goal is a more organized home, office or life, it is important to realize that decluttering is the first step towards this goal. We cannot organize what we have when there is just TOO MUCH STUFF. Once we learn to let go of some of the things we no longer want or need, the organizing comes much more easily. Happy Decluttering!