The idea around leading a simple life, owning less stuff, and to de-clutter your spaces sounds attractive to most of us, and maybe including you.
But often, we begin to feel anxious and overwhelmed around the idea of living a life in which you own less. Isn’t that too bad?
De-cluttering your home spaces means that you’re de-cluttering your life as well, and learning and executing this shouldn’t be painful as some people make it appear. And you can reap a lot of benefits henceforth.
De-clutter Your Spaces
With decluttering, you’ll, first of all, have less to clean, which will save you precious time and money that you would have used on brooms, soaps, etc. With few things, you’ll be able to locate items easily-you’ll actually enjoy your organized space.
Thirdly, you’ll have fixed an eyesore that can potentially stress you. How about your own safety?
Well, cluttered spaces are death traps. You know, decluttering helps you to rid your spaces of harmful objects such as pieces of glass and cables that are hidden in piles of wood and dirt, and which could harm you in case you step on them accidentally.
Now, if you’re overwhelmed by the clutter in your spaces, here are some great tips to declutter within a record time. A little by little. Keep reading.
1) Consider Your Goal for Decluttering
Before embarking on the process of decluttering your home spaces, it’s important to visualise what you want it to look like. This is pretty obvious, as you can’t start a journey without knowing the destination you’re headed for, lest you get lost in the bushes. Before hauling off papers to the recycling bin, take a moment and close your eyes, and start visualising your dream space.
Ask yourself such questions as, what does my spaces look like now? What is their use? How do the spaces make me feel? Well, it all boils down to focusing on the outcome of your efforts to declutter your spaces. You know, the more specific you’re about your decluttering goals, the more motivated you’ll be throughout the whole process, right?
For example, the functional purpose of decluttering is to be able to move around your home without having to squeeze through the gaps and small spaces. Once you figure out why you are decluttering, you can ask yourself how you will go about it.
The first step is always getting rid of items that serve you no purpose. If it’s trash, it’s high-time you chuck it into the bin. If it’s an item that you don’t use anymore, giving it to charity or selling them online is a popular approach.
However, there is also a fair amount of items that aren’t necessarily essential, but you cannot get rid of for sentimental reasons. Prized collectables or treasured mementoes always have a place in our hearts. So how do you negotiate your need for space and sentimental belongings?
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2) Avoid Buying More Items Until You De-Clutter Your Spaces
This is yet another great point if you’re to complete decluttering your spaces without any hassle. Experts stress the importance of avoiding buying new stuff before decluttering is over. Why is this so? Well, it goes without saying that the major reason why your spaces are cluttered is because you’ve more than enough. You already have enough to deal with, so why should you even buy more in the first place?
3) Prepare Yourself Mentally
One fact you should embrace right away before and during the decluttering process has to be that the mess didn’t occur overnight. It helps to understand that the process will take a lot of time-you can’t fix it as quickly as you’ll realize. Always remind yourself that even a few steps in the right direction are still good steps. That’s how to move inch by inch towards your end goals.
4) Get the Tools That You’ll Need
Ideally, decluttering is a process that requires strategy and well-thought-out actionable plan. What this means is that you just don-t wake and start decluttering your house or the yard. First of all, it’s recommended that you gather all the necessary tools that come in handy in decluttering. Trash bags, donation bags, plant pots, shears, and such jokes.
Also, get bags to hold items that belong in other categories and rooms. You’ll also need brooms to clean up pavements and driveways. The bonus tip when gathering tools is that you should go for the best tools as much as possible. If it’s shears, ensure that the pair you pick is sharp enough. When it comes to brooms, get new ones, as they clean the best.
The next point is also a great idea for you.
5) Create a Decluttering Schedule
All experts agree that the best way to remove clutter from your spaces in a record time is by scheduling decluttering sessions on your calendar. While doing this, make sure that you’re realistic- don’t set a schedule that you won’t abide by. You know, most people embark on decluttering and before they are done with the next space, the previous one is already cluttered again. You don’t want that, right?
Well, pick timeframe that works best for you, but don’t worry about using many full days for that job. Just choose a small chunk of time, say 15-30 minutes, a day. Use a to-do-list mobile application, or yet still, set phone timers and reminders if you have to. This way, you will be able to effectively track your progress and that of friends or family members you’re working with to declutter your spaces.
6) Star with The Space That Stresses You the Most
It doesn’t matter whether you begin with the kitchen or the garden. What is more important, according to expert organizers, is that you should decluttering the space that bothers you the most- one that makes you feel to shut the door and run away. There’s that space that can drive you, your family and guests away from hanging out around your home- start with that one. Additionally, fixing your biggest worry first will naturally make you feel motivated to continue.
Another good idea?
Start with a space that impacts your daily life the most. For example, decluttering your driveway and pavements is more useful than decluttering your bedroom. Chances are that guests won’t be coming to sleep at your home every day, but they’ll at least like it if the entrance to your home is clean. That being said, then start with what is visible-what you can see. After decluttering desktops, dive into cabinets and drawers. Do you get the idea?
7) Make Decluttering Fun!
Does that sound weird? Now, if you’re clutter rut, making decluttering fun is one great way to help you get going. It’s almost impossible to believe that such a tiresome and time-consuming process can be fun, but there are several ways to make it more fun and enjoyable. For example, you can involve yourself, family members and friends in decluttering challenges and competitions.
Or you can challenge them to see who can collect more strewn items in a few minutes. If you’re doing decluttering alone, you can still add fun competition to the equation.
Set a timer to 5 minutes and see whether you can collect 25 clutter items before the set time runs out. How about rewarding yourself with hot coffee or latte once you’ve completed a given task? That’s yet another great incentive. It’s all about setting goals, achieving them, and motivating yourself and others to work towards achieving a clean environment.
8) Declutter from Inside Out, and from Top to Bottom
Ever heard that you start cleaning your house from top to bottom? It also applies to decluttering your spaces. When decluttering, you’re definitely getting rid of everything you don’t like: dander, dust, fuzz, and such. Similarly, you’re readjusting and reorganizing your spaces. Start decluttering the bedrooms before the basement, garage, and garden.
Also, you may want to clean your cluttered spaces from the center towards the perimeter walls. This does not only make it easier for you to get out of the rooms, but also it allows you the chance to see the progress you’re making.
9) Find a Place for Every Item
There are chances that your spaces look cluttered because you seem to put things anywhere, since they don’t have specific places set aside for them. If this rings true of you, pick up items and find places for them, and the spots should be visible for ease of accessibility when you need to use the items.
If you don’t know where an item belongs, you’ll need to designate a good place for it. Do this for every space in your and you’ll see the difference in a record time.
10) Teach Your Kids to Be Organised
While these tips are mostly meant for parents, teaching your kids the habit of placing things where they belong will go a long way in preventing your spaces from getting cluttered easily.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that they’ll learn the organisational skills and habits overnight, so you’ll need to embrace patience while teaching them a little by little. And it’s better if you can be a role model they can emulate- get into the habit yourself. Set the example for them and let them learn from you.
How to De-clutter Your Spaces
Much has been written about decluttering but you’ll realize that many are the people who don’t have a clue of where to start. Yes, it can be overwhelming trying to deal with a home filled with clutter, but you shouldn’t begin to get worried as you already have expertly-tested and proved tips. Use them and make a few steps every day.
Before you know it, you’ll have decluttered a whole room and eventually your whole compound. Above all, it takes an effective strategy and determination for all the clutter to disappear.
