At one point or another our homes end up a bit untidier than we would like. This slow build up of clutter is different for everyone - Perhaps you can’t stand having an untidy home and are frustrated by small build ups or perhaps you don’t notice a build up until it’s gotten quite bad. Either way, we all need to declutter our home periodically. And this can be quite the dreaded undertaking for many.
So, if you think it’s time to relieve your clutter induced stress and declutter your home but need a bit of motivation, or you just feel a bit overwhelmed, we’ve put a few tips together that we are confident will make the task feel a bit more do-able.
Have a (Realistic) Deadline
If you’ve set yourself a couple of hours to work through an entire house worth’s of clutter you are likely deluding yourself and setting yourself up for a failure So, find yourself a realistic deadline.
For example, if you work 9-5 - dedicate a few hours in the evening to a specific task or room with the end goal being to have it done by the end of the week. Or if you’re really ambitious and have weekends off - dedicate a whole weekend to it! Remember to take breaks though!
Find What System Works for You
Erratically beginning the de-cluttering process with no real process in place is a bad idea. Without a system to focus on your motivation levels are likely to wane early on. So, decide what system will work best for you.
For example - would you prefer working through items and grouping them together or would you prefer working on a room by room basis? Are you overwhelmed by the idea of de-cluttering for extended amounts of time and work better through short spurts? Decide on your system first and foremost and decluttering won’t feel like such a difficult task.
Avoid Distraction, Keep Focused
It’s very easy to get distracted whilst undertaking de-cluttering. As we unearth long lost photo albums, trinkets and other items we haven’t seen for months (or years!) our sentimental side tends to take over and befor you know it you’ve been looking through photos for an hour, de-cluttering long abandoned along with any motivation. Keep your goals in mind and be strong - there’ll be plenty of time to look through photos in your newly tidy home!
Remember, One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure
They say that if you haven’t used or worn an item in six months that it is best to get rid of it. This isn’t of course the easiest task when we might be quite attached to the item in question. Bearing in mind that your abandoned possessions could mean a lot to another person, and that charities are always calling out for clothing and bric-a-brac donations, can make getting rid of clutter that little bit easier.
Integrate De-Cluttering Into Your Everyday
So, when you finally complete the seemingly impossible task of having your house de-cluttered, it’s important to keep it that way! The newly found space and tidiness will be a real temptation to fill mindlessly with leaflets, newspapers, old coffee mugs - you name it.
By taking a few spare moments to integrate little bits of de-cluttering into our everyday life by remembering to tidy things away when we’re done with them, we’ll be saving ourselves a lot of work and stress in the long run.
Do you have any de-cluttering tips? Tweet us!