Declutter Your Home & Start Loving How You Live
The number of people buying organizing books and indicating that they would like to get rid of the extra “stuff” in their homes is evidence that more of us are interested in living organized lives. The good news is that it doesn’t matter how bad your household clutter is currently–you can conquer it and improve your home and your life. It is not as difficult as it seems and having fewer things in your house means less to organize and less money spent.
Why decluttering is good for you:
- Getting rid of clutter is a good opportunity for you to reevaluate how you want to live in your home. Eliminating unused and unnecessary items will simplify how you live and help to create more quality time for you and your family.
- Releasing yourself from clutter frees up space and brings a cool, calm order to your rooms. It has been proven that when a living environment is organized it reduces stress and aids in the healing and wellness process.
- De-cluttering creates more open space to do beneficial things for yourself such as yoga, reading, crafts or starting a hobby that you enjoy. These activities enrich our lives and make us who we are—without them, we simply move through life and do not really experience it.
How to Begin:
– Take a good, long, look at your home with fresh eyes. What made sense to hold onto five or ten years ago may not fit in with your lifestyle or your décor today. If that is the case—get rid of it.
– Get your family involved in the process. Set up systems throughout your home right where clutter collects. For instance, put a basket for shoes by the front door or hang wall hooks for school backpacks near the mudroom.
– Focus your efforts. For dramatic, visible results, declutter one room at a time and complete it before moving on to the next. You will get a sense of accomplishment as well as the inspiration to continue to clear out the rest of your home.
– Pare-down paper piles by discarding junk mail before it gets into your house. Also, purchase a paper shredder, request that your bills be sent by email and limit the number of catalogs and magazines that you receive.
– Maximizing your storage by putting baskets and containers to work storing lightweight items like linens and paper goods.
What to do with items you no longer need or want:
- Donate—Give your discarded items to a charity such as Goodwill or to one of Habitat for Humanity’s Restore sites which sells donated building materials, home accessories and appliances to fund the construction of local Habitat homes.
- Consign—Contact local consignment shops, antique malls and used furniture stores to see if they will sell your unwanted items. Usually the consignment shop will take a portion of what the item sells for in addition to a service fee.
- Repurpose –Instead of discarding a piece of furniture that you own or purchasing a new one, get creative and use it for another purpose. For example, that old TV cabinet that you no longer need might make a great linen cabinet or a place to keep office or scrapbook supplies.
If you need professional help:
Call in a professional organizer to evaluate your habits and clutter in order to help get you back on track. They can then set up organization strategies throughout your home that you can complete and continue following.
Visit a local container/organizing store to see the various closet, office and organizing products available. Install them in your home to make it as efficient as possible so that you can enjoy it more and not constantly search for items that you need.
Decluttering is something that most people feel is integral to their homes. Your excess belongings can be conquered and you can put an end to frustrating search missions, embarrassing visits and feeling as though you live amidst chaos. Strive to embrace organizational peace of mind with regular declutter sessions and create a living space for yourself that you love and love coming home to.
Be sure to email any questions that you have about decorating and remodeling to me at bargemun@aol.com
Patrice