De-Clutter To De-Stress

If you are like most North Americans, you are being pulled in many directions with very little time left over for yourself. When you add to this the stress of a cluttered home, you may feel a tad overwhelmed. Sure, you have been meaning to get organized and you may have even attempted to tackle a few rooms. But let’s face it: unless you are willing to purge, you are only moving stuff around. So go ahead, get rid of the surplus stuff!

Here is how to can begin the process. Get a few boxes or bins and label them either garbage, recycling, donation, or storage. you can start your sort with clothes you have not worn in at least a year and broken items that you have meant to fix for a while. 

We surround ourselves with things and they often have emotional ties. However, something that made you feel good when you first acquired it could be making you feel overwhelmed today if it contributing to the clutter in your life. For the items that you cannot bear to give away, such as an old college sweatshirt or your grandma’s lamp, you can store them in a box that you would label “memories”. Go back to that both in a year’s time. You may choose to keep it in the garage or attic and while longer or you may realize that you don’t really miss these things and be willing to get rid of them. Another option would be to take pictures of the items that you no longer have a need for but can’t seem to let go. The pictures will allow you to keep a souvenir of the item without cluttering your home. 

Once you have gone though all your things and gotten rid of the clutter, get into the habit of sorting on a regular basis. It could be every six months or as often as every month. If you don’t get into the habit of sorting your things often, you will find that clutter has a sneaky way to creeping back in your life. The last thing you want is to be back where you started a year later and have to go through a major sort and de-cluttering again. Make a point of putting things away and start filing your papers on a weekly basis. Do not give in to the temptation to put things away later. It’s a slippery slope and you know where that got you in the past! Schedule some time every week to tidy up and organize your things. By doing it in small bits regularly, the clutter will not become overwhelming. 

A good way to motivate you to tidy and de-clutter is to give yourself rewards every once in a while. Just be careful not to reward yourself with useless stuff that will later become clutter. Instead of buying yourself “something”, treat yourself to an activity or services. Perhaps you can indulge in a monthly massage, schedule time for a manicure or treat yourself to a movie. You will feel better without adding more clutter to your home. 

Taking the first step is the most difficult part of the de-cluttering process. But once you start, you will find that there are many things that you didn’t even know you had. So take the time to go through your things on a regular basis and watch yourself become calmer and happier.