Many people love the idea of having less clutter, less stuff and living a simple life with fewer possessions. But many times even the idea of tackling a job like this around their house can seem overwhelming. Clearing out the clutter from your life and home can have numerous benefits including easier cleaning routines and the joy of never having to search for that lost elusive item again.
At first, it can seem like a daunting task, and the idea of owning less can sometimes feel like you’re losing a part of yourself. But in time and if done systematically you’ll notice the benefits of clearing out the clutter from your life and going forward. Here are a few of the benefits of uncluttering your home.
A lot less stress
So much less to organize
Things won’t get lost or disappear anymore. Finding items in your home will be so much easier. There won’t always be stuff in the way. You’ll be able to move through your space so much more easily instead of always having to make room to do the things you want to do.
Less to clean
Nobody likes to clean the house. But having to move things and clean around things that you have no emotional attachment to can be a downright chore. You may even be cleaning around things you dislike and that can make cleaning even more stressful than ever.
Cut your debt
If you spend less time at the store buying material possessions and stuff you don’t need you’ll see an immediate change in your financial picture. Your bank account balance will be higher, and your credit card bill will shrink. Your house will no longer be filled with expensive things you don’t need to make you happy.
Financial Freedom
More energy and time
By having more financial freedom, less debt and a clean uncluttered home, you’ll have more time to pursue your passions. But now that you know the benefits, you may be wondering: so just where should I begin? Glad you asked! Here’s our six tips for clearing out the clutter.
Creative Decluttering Tips
1. Get rid of one thing every day.
Think about this. If you give away or remove one thing from your home each day, that’ll be 365 items gone from your home in a year! Can you imagine if you could toss two items per day? That’s 730 items gone from your life that you no longer want or need. Start slowly but be consistent for the most significant impacts.
2. Change your perspective.
Look at your home as if you’re a stranger walking in for the first time. Write down all of the things you notice that could be removed or seem to be cluttering up the place. Make notes of how you want to make changes and how much better your home will look once you clear out the items cluttering up the place.
3. Start making a checklist.
It is so much easier if you have a list to check off the items removed and changes made. This way you’ll not only have a visual document of your progress but you’ll also begin to have a sense of accomplishment once you complete your list.
4. Recruit a friend.
It’s always good to have a second set of eyes and a valued opinion on certain items. Ask your friend to make an honest assessment of your house and suggest a few items you could do without. If you want to keep an item your friend has to agree with you on why you’re deciding to hold on to it. If they don’t agree and they make a good case, maybe it’s time to toss it or give it away.
5. Donate.
We all have clothes in the back of our closet or in the bottom of a drawer we no longer wear. An easy way to identify what you do and don’t wear is this: Hang all of your outfits in the reverse direction. After wearing a garment, simply hang it in the correct direction in your closet. If a few months pass and you haven’t touched the ones facing backward it’s time to donate them.
6. Try the 12-12-12 method.
Find 12 items to store properly away, 12 items to discard, and 12 to donate to charity. Make it a timed challenge. Set a timer for one hour and see if you can complete one round under the buzzer. This can help make the chore feel less imposing on your day.
7. The four-box method.
Get four boxes and label them: Re-locate, Donate, Trash, and Keep. Go through your home and put each item in a different box. Don’t skip over anything no matter how small or trivial the item may seem. This plan will give you a clear understanding of what you want to own and what may need to go somewhere else or out of your life forever. You may go back and forth on this one a little bit but ultimately it’ll give you an idea of what’s important in your life regarding your stuff.
8. 15 minutes at a time.
If you’re new to decluttering, you can start slowly. Just 15 minutes a day. You can even mentally divide a room into four quadrants. Just unclutter one corner of a room per day. In 4 days, the room will be clear!
9. Take photos.
Choose a section or room in your home and take some pictures, like your own before and after project similar to those DIY TV shows. Take the photo, and then really clean up the area in the photo. Take an after photo once complete. Compare the two. This is how you want your home to look. Once you start to see how nice your home could look, free from clutter, it’ll motivate you to keep going and you’ll do the whole house!
10. The trash bag challenge.
Get a big trash bag and fill it up with items to give away as fast as you can. Once it’s full, you can put it in your car and take it straight to a donation center.
11. Recycle!
You can help the environment and benefit your life by getting rid of certain items in your home by recycling them. Here at Manville Recycling, we’re happy to help answer your recycling questions, so reach out and we can go through your list with you to determine all the items in your home that can be recycled.
It doesn’t matter which one of these tips you choose to do first. The important thing is for you to start doing it today. The most important step to getting organized and decluttered is the first step. Once you’ve accomplished your first step and see a difference, do it every day. Give yourself a little reward each time you get rid of something or put something away in its proper place.
You’ll be proud of your home and feel stress-free once you’ve accomplished your goals. How you decide to declutter your home is entirely up to you, but the best tip is to start now and be consistent! Good luck!
