The best motivation for decluttering is to look around yourself and imagine everything there rattling inside your mind. That entire rattle makes it hard to focus. An abundance of possessions leads to more anxiety and stress and less peace of mind. Here are some tips on how to calm you by indulging in some much needed decluttering:
- The 6 month rule:
You have probably heard this on an Oprah show. It is one of the best tips for decluttering rooms, garages and wardrobes. The rule is that throw out everything you haven’t used in over 6 months because chances are if you haven’t needed it so far you won’t need it again anytime soon and if you do then just treat yourself to a new one.
- The thrift-gift hamper:
Every week make a basket of goodies to donate to a charity or just give your best friend those scarves and wallets you don’t use anymore. You will be making someone else happy while enjoying the warm feelings that go with being at the giving end.
- Dividers and organizers:
Enjoy a trip down memory lane by investing in a few drawer-dividers or wardrobe organizers and placing your favorite items in there. Think about each article placed, where you bought it, or who gave it to you and why it’s your favorite. Make sure you don’t overstuff any of the little pockets. At the end look at what’s leftover and compare it with what you saved. You will find that the leftovers are not worth hanging on to.
- The individualistic view:
This is one case where you should look at your home as a combination of individual units rather than a whole. Choose one room at a time to declutter or the enormity of the goal may leave you even more anxious and stressed out than before. Give yourself a safe timeline in which to declutter the room.
- Inbox it:
Bills, newspapers and random flyers account for a lot of clutter lying around the house. The simple and expedient act of placing an inbox tray in an easy accessible area can go a long way towards removing paper clutter. This way you always know what to do with those travel brochures the salesman just dropped off while you were walking in the door.
- Little monsters alert:
Kids are messy and there’s no way around it. The easiest way to keep kiddy clutter in check is to place large baskets where your children are most likely to bring out their army of toys to wage war on your housekeeping skills. To save time (and cut down on loud protests), ask them to dump everything in the baskets when they’re done playing. This is easier for children to manage on their own, as opposed to sorting out toys and placing them on separate shelves.