People often talk about decluttering as one of the best ways to get mental clarity. And it’s true. I keep repeating that here on the blog too.
But let’s be honest, Decluttering is overwhelming at times.
Specially when it is your first time decluttering your home and you have no idea where to begin. Happens to the best of us.
But what you need to understand is, Your house didn’t get cluttered overnight. It took all those years to accumulate all the “stuff”you have and that Decluttering will be a process. It won’t happen overnight.
And that’s okay.
These steps will help you get started on your Decluttering Journey.
And believe me when I say it is going to be a “Journey” and it’s not going to be easy. Getting rid of things can be tough for a lot of people for a number of reasons, but let me assure you it is going to do wonders for your home and for your mental health.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN:
KNOW YOUR WHY:
Before you begin your decluttering journey, I want to envision a clean, organised and clutter free home. And what it would feel like. Think about what is your motivating factor behind decluttering and how it would affect your life.
Decluttering is a big project and knowing WHY you want to declutter will help you stay motivated. So when you are in the process of decluttering, and are feeling demotivated, you can go back to your “WHY” and get motivated again.
SCHEDULE IT IN:
If you constantly find yourself procrastinating on decluttering and have been putting it off for quite some time, you should probably schedule it in. Select a time of the week (preferably during the weekend) when you will start your declutter. Set a reminder. Make a playlist for decluttering if you need one. And when the reminder goes off, put on your decluttering shoes and get on it.
KEEP BAGS & BINS READY:
When you begin decluttering and if you are familiar about the process, you need to keep your bins ready. However, if you are not familiar with how this works, you will essentially need 2/3 bins. One will be labelled “DONATE”, one will be labelled “THROW AWAY” and the third one to keep things that don’t belong in that particular room/space.
When you are starting your decluttering process, keep the following tips in mind:
1.Do not try to declutter everything, at once:
Watching “tidying up with Marie Kondo” on Netflix is one thing and attempting to do it all, is another. So when you are starting out, do not think about decluttering your entire house. because it will get quite messy and overwhelming. I speak from experience. I am a crazy cleaning lady when it comes to tidying up and cleaning and once went “Marie Kondo” on our house a few years back. Safe to say it took me about a week, and my anxiety was through the roof and that you probably don’t want the same.
Instead, start small. Start with a place that isn’t too big and isn’t that cluttered and is hence easier to get done. And then once you are done you can move to another place.
Starting small and creating these “wins” is super important because they will keep you motivated as you tackle on bigger and more cluttered spaces in your house. These wins are also important because they will boost your confidence that you can take on the bigger projects.
And even if you don’t feel like decluttering another space right after, it is still a win, right? Decluttering something is still better than not starting at all.
PRO TIP: Never start with your Garage, bedroom or closet because these are the places that generally have the most amount of clutter. We suggest that you begin somewhere small like your work desk or your bedside table, or maybe even your bathroom. These are places that are generally smaller and easy to declutter.
2. Do a sweep:
This one is pretty simple. Go through your entire house and see if there is anything that you need to get rid of. Probably a painting that you have been thinking about replacing for years but never get around to actually doing so?
The best places to look for all the counters that you have in your house, i.e your kitchen counters, cabinet counters, coffee table, bathroom counters etc. Because horizontal surfaces tend to accumulate clutter over time and it is important to declutter them first.
Clean counters and table tops will instantly give you a satisfaction of decluttering because they are easy to declutter but make such a big difference. Also, it is so easy to declutter table tops and counters. There are always things that you can put away.
PRO TIP: While you are sweeping through, also check if there are somethings that don’t belong in a particular room.And put all these things in their right places.
3. Start from one corner:
When decluttering a large space or a really messy/cluttered space like your garage or storage area, it is easy to get overwhelmed just by the magnitude of the things you need to tackle. But one of the tips I have for you is to just begin.
Start with one corner of the room. Maybe you could start with a table that you have there. You have to start somewhere right?
Starting from one corner and then slowly going into the entire space will make it a little less overwhelming. And I do not suggest taking everything out, like the Marie Kondo method. It takes a really long time to put everything back.
And if are the kind of person who has a difficulty in letting things go and can’t decide what to let go and what to keep, here is a list of Questions that you need to ask yourself while decluttering.
As you answer these questions, you will realise the process will get easier and letting go of things that you no longer need/use, will allow you to create much more room in your life for things that you do love.
Do you need to declutter too? What areas do you find most difficult to declutter?
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