Decluttering Help: Where to Start
Is your home too cluttered? Are you finding it more and more difficult to locate items or are you starting to get overwhelmed with all of the stuff in the space? Don't worry...you're not alone. In the age of minimalism, more and more people are seeking to simplify their lives, and in many cases this means making the home a more functional space. The days of keeping every single memento may be coming to an end as the age of 'tidying up' is emerging. If you're struggling to find a starting point in your decluttering efforts, let us lend a hand. For those in need of some decluttering help, here are some tips on where to start...
Create a Decluttering Schedule
Trying to find time to declutter your home can be tough. With such a busy schedule and so many responsibilities on your plate, it's hard to keep up. That's why we recommend scheduling time to start the decluttering process, based on what works best for you. For instance, you may want to create a decluttering schedule that includes setting aside a half an hour each day, maybe after dinner, to go through a couple of boxes or drawers, or you may want to take a weekend to get through the majority of your items. Either way, the key here is to pick a time that works for you, put it on your schedule and get it done.
Have a Clear Zone
It can be easy to get overwhelmed when you're trying to declutter a space. Where do you even begin? It may be so overwhelming, in fact, that you just give up after a few minutes, because you've just created more of a mess. This is why we say start with one room and designate an area that remains clear. Place the belongings that you're going through in this empty spot, go through them and figure out what you're doing with all of the items, then clear this area out. Do this for each box, drawer, pile, etc. until everything in the room has a designated location, based on what you plan on doing with it.
A Plan for Your Items
In this clear zone, something needs to happen. You need to decide what you're going to do with each item, meaning that you need to create a plan and move on. When you're decluttering, chances are you're doing this because you want to make your space more functional. This means that not every item is going to be able to stay. Make a plan for each item and label it as:
Keep
Toss
Donate
Sell
This way, you'll have a plan and idea for all of your belongings at the end of the decluttering process. Do this for each room, one room at a time, until you've gotten through your entire home.
It may have taken you quite some time to accumulate all of these items, but now it's time to get rid of some things to ensure that your home stays safe and comfortable and you remain content in the space. In getting organized before you begin and having a solid plan in place, you'll be able to get through the task of decluttering your home in no time.
Tune in next month as we give you more helpful decluttering tips and tricks!