Clearing Chaos: The Importance of Decluttering and Practical Ways to Get Started
I want my home to feel cozy and lived in, but I also don’t want to feel stifled by clutter.
Too much clutter has several negative impacts on our brains, which in turn stunts our growth toward reaching goals:
Heightened Stress Levels: Living in a cluttered environment can evoke feelings of anxiety and overwhelm, triggering the release of stress hormones like cortisol. Decluttering can help create a calmer, more peaceful space, promoting relaxation and reducing stress.
Decreased Creativity: Cluttered spaces clutter free thinking. A clutter-free environment can foster creativity and innovation. With fewer distractions and a clearer space, your brain is better able to engage in creative thinking and problem-solving activities. You may find it easier to generate new ideas and explore different perspectives in a clutter-free environment.
Trouble Concentrating: Too much going on in a space makes it harder to stay focused on tasks at hand. Without the distraction of clutter, your brain can allocate its cognitive resources more effectively, leading to increased productivity and efficiency.
Decision Fatigue: Clutter can create decision fatigue, making it harder for your brain to make choices. When you declutter and simplify your surroundings, you reduce the number of decisions you need to make, freeing up mental energy for more important tasks.
Decluttering isn’t a burden.
If you live in a situation where you’re blessed enough to have too much, please don’t throw away items that would benefit someone else. Donate to a thrift store that raises money for a cause you support, gift to someone who would benefit from the item, or donate to a local charity.
Let’s Declutter! Tips to Get Rid of Clutter.
There are several proven methods to decrease clutter in your living space. Find what works well for you and implement that method. Don’t feel like you have to do everything at once. Implementing every decluttering method and organization method in the book will make you crazy. We want less crazy, not more.
Month-Long Challenge
Challenge yourself to get rid of something you no longer need every day of one month. On the first day of the month, get rid of one thing. On the second day of the month, get rid of two things. On the third of the month, get rid of three things. The challenge continues with matching the day of the month to the number of items you will donate, re-gift, or throw away.
I’ve heard of friends or family members doing this activity together. Makes it a fun way to challenge each other and reminisce some.
One In, One Out Rule
Every time you purchase an item in a certain category, donate an old item in that category. For example, when you buy a new summer shirt, donate an old summer shirt you no longer need. This rule doesn’t work for every category, but some categories that can work well include clothing, shoes, books, puzzles, office supplies, and coffee cups.
Set Limits in Certain Categories
Similar to the one in, one out rule, this declutter technique involves numbers and categories. Set a number for the amount of items you will own in a certain category. For example, if you really only ever use five blankets maximum, keep five blankets and donate the rest.
Ask Questions
Marie Kondo made popular this question-asking method of decluttering. She’s known for asking a question along the lines of, “Does this item bring me joy?”
Other questions you could ask include:
How often do I use this item?
When would I use this item?
Do I know someone who would have greater benefit from this item than me?
Seasonal Sortation
Make decluttering an activity every season. This is particularly helpful when it comes to seasonal items you bring out and put up each year. Make a point of going through those seasonal items every year and see if there is anything else that can be decluttered while you’re in the mood to sort.
Use Storage Organizers
For certain items, buy an organizer made for that product. Only keep the number of products that comfortably fit in that organizer. One of my favorite examples of this method is wrapping paper. If I have more wrapping paper than fits in the organizer, I either use it or give it away.
Buy storage organizers like this wrapping paper organizer. Only keep what fits in the organizer.