Why Declutter Your Entire House
We don’t have to go all out with a full minimalist lifestyle. Just take baby steps to have a simple home.
Some level of clutter will still happen from time to time, at least until we change our habits and our mindset about clutter. Just don’t let a small pile become an out of control mole hill. It will raise your stress level. Things like paper work, emails and kids toys can easily pile up. Something that could have taken 5 minutes to take care of, takes 5 hours to complete. Take that few minutes every day at a set time, or just before bed, to deal with it.
How Does Clutter Affect Mental Health?
Clutter can affect our anxiety levels, sleep, ability to focus and our mood. It will make us less productive and more likely to snack on junk and watch TV or Social Media more than we need to.
Research has shown that our physical environment can influence our emotions, behaviors and our relationships.
Bursting cupboards and piles of paper stacked around the house may seem harmless. But disorganization and clutter can keep us from living a happy and healthy lifestyle.
How Clutter Impacts Your Budget
Clutter is a stuff problem, not a space problem. It can become a mental problem if you cannot get rid of anything and just keep buying more things.
If you have an item, but can’t find it in all your clutter, chances are you will buy another one. If we are constantly replacing things we can’t find, it will COST you money.
Late fees on bills that are due, but you didn’t pay because of paper clutter, it will COST you money.
If you have so much stuff taking up space that you need a storage unit to put it all in, it will COST you money.
Think of what you could do if you sold it all, made money back, and saved on these extra expenses. Also, think about time wasted searching for things: keys, shoes, paperwork, auto parts (yes, it’s a thing), etc…
How to get Started Decluttering Your Home
Just start. Have a mind shift and be tired enough of it all and just start. Start small, start big, but start. Decluttering is just a matter of having some nice things, but not everything.
Let’s simplify Decluttering the best way we can. You need to do what works for you. That could be a cupboard, a drawer, a room or even the help of a professional.
Here is a suggestion. I got this from Marie Kondo who wrote The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I highly recommend it. But don’t use it as an excuse to procrastinate starting. She said, “A good place to start is with a room you like to relax in.” So a place you can sit back and relax, read a good book and have a glass of wine or whatever it is you like to do. You need a place to relax, especially while you are decluttering your entire home. Have a place to go to for some peace and rest. Then start again.
Keep a realistic expectation and know that life happens, but don’t give up. Start with a spot in one room. Go to another spot and concentrate on one spot at a time. If you look around and try to concentrate on it all, you will feel defeated and give up. Remember, baby steps.
Use boxes, trash bags or baskets to hold stuff. Use them to make piles for:
Trash
Recycle
Donate
Sell
If an item is to small or you haven’t worn it in a year, but it’s still in good shape or like new, put in int he donate pile. If anything is worn out or damaged, throw it out. If it is no longer useful or just collecting dust, donate it or sell it.
Let go of things that don’t fit with your lifestyle, don’t fit you, are worn out, stained, damaged, no longer useful, or if you have too many of them. And don’t forget to clean and wipe down things as you go.
I promise you will feel so much better. Weight lifted off your shoulders, a clearer mind, and the ability to focus so much better. It is amazing how much more productive we can become. I created a Home Decluttering List for you to print out and check off for all the places in your home. Feel free download it to help you get going and just start.
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