Even though the clutter in your home is causing you stress and it needs to be dealt with, decluttering can be really hard. How do you decide what to get rid of or where to start? How do you clear out those piles of things that are weighing you down? Here are five essential things to remember that will make decluttering your home so much easier.
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It’s Time to Part with All That Stuff
So you know you need to declutter.
You have piles of things on tabletops or shoved into corners and closets.
You’re wasting time searching for things every day, and you’ve wasted more than enough money buying new things because you couldn’t find the ones you already had in all that mess.
But decluttering can be tough. It’s really hard to clear out that stuff.
I get it.
But it needs to be done.
And I’ve got five essential decluttering tips to make the job easier.
5 Essential Decluttering Tips
1. Start with Small Projects
The first essential decluttering tip to keep in mind is to start with small decluttering spaces and projects for quick wins.
Never start deccluttering with tough, emotional, sentimental stuff.
Instead, start somewhere easier like the bathroom or the kitchen, which rarely holds sentimental items.
Getting these quick wins under your belt in anything, not just decluttering, helps you gain confidence in your abilities and decision-making skills when you’re decluttering.
Start with small projects like a single drawer or a shelf, so when you finish it, you feel like you’ve accomplished something, then move on to the next small space.
Keep doing this until you’ve had several decluttering wins.
And then move on to bigger and harder spaces.
2. When Did You Last Use an Item?
The second decluttering tip is to think about when you last used an item.
When you’re clearing out the clutter in your home, ask yourself when was the last time that you used each item. Think about the last year through all four seasons. Have you used this item in that time?
If you’ve not used it in a year or more, chances are you won’t need it anytime soon and you can safely get rid of it.
3. Forget About “Sunk Costs”
The third tip is to forget about sunk costs.
In economics, sunk costs mean that you’ve spent money on something but you can’t get that money back.
This concept can easily be applied to decluttering too, because it can be very tempting to think about what you spent on something and hold onto it solely because of that.
Instead, you need to think about the value that item will bring to you or take away from you and your life going forward. Is it currently adding to your life because it’s useful or brings you joy, or is it taking away from it because it’s causing you stress?
4. Take Before and After Photos
The fourth tip to make decluttering easier is to take before and after photos.
Much like taking before and after photos of a room makeover, taking before and after photos of a cluttered space motivates and helps you see how far you’ve come.
Seeing those improvements reinforces the quick wins we talked about earlier and helps you to stay motivated to complete the decluttering.
5. Look at Your Space with Fresh Eyes
Tip number five is to examine your space through a new lens, or a different outlook.
If you’re struggling to see where you need to begin cluttering, view your home as a first-time visitor. Make note of where the clutter really stands out or what you first notice.
Or if that doesn’t seem to be helpful, have a trusted friend or family member come over to look at your spaces and help you decide what is cluttered and needs to be cleaned up right now.
Summary
When you’re decluttering, it can be really helpful to remember that:
- The place to begin is the space that will give you the quickest win.
- If you haven’t used something in a year or more, you can get rid of it.
- You can’t get back all the money you’ve already spent on something, but that’s not a good enough reason alone to keep it.
- Taking before and after photos of a cluttered space is a great motivator.
- Also, try looking at your space with a fresh pair of eyes. Whether you looking at the space as a first time visitor or a trusted friend or family member, helping you see your space differently can really help you declutter.
Do you have any other decluttering tips? Share them below!
