Decluttering is the process of removing things of low value from your life. It leads to a simpler life that allows you to focus more on what you value. But decluttering is easier said than done. This is especially true if you have any emotional attachments to the clutter. This is why the difficulties of decluttering are often more mental than physical. So, it helps to use strategies that make it easier, and we will discuss them. Although clutter can take many forms, today we will focus on physical clutter. The methods we use to remove physical clutter can be applied to other types of clutter. So, here are some things that make decluttering easier:
Having a good reason to declutter
Having a good reason can make your decluttering easier. In fact, it can be crucial to successful decluttering. A good reason gives you motivation, especially during difficult times. One such good reason is knowing your home is overcrowded with stuff. This is because every room in every home has a finite amount of space. If there are too many things in that room, there will not be enough proper spaces for all of them. When this happens, clutter will pile up on horizontal surfaces. Decluttering is the only long-term way to fix this problem.
Not buying useless things
When decluttering, you shouldn’t buy anything unless you have a use for it and no substitute. This step will save you a lot of time and money. Buying useless stuff will slow or even stop your decluttering process. It will also cause clutter to build up again after you finish decluttering.
Detachment from the things you declutter
Decluttering is much easier if you don’t overvalue things. Otherwise, you will want to cling to things you have no use for. It is best to realize that all useful possessions are tools. If it is not a tool, then it is useless. Also, if it is useless, it is as good as garbage. For example, a piece of memorabilia is a tool for remembering things. Also, a piece of memorabilia only works if you can see it or observe it in some other way. If you can’t, it no longer serves its function. It would be like a picture you can’t look at. Living space is better than something useless that occupies it. This is obvious if you are not too attached to stuff.
Removing things from your home immediately
Moving things from one room to another is not the most efficient way to declutter. Now, sometimes it helps if a useful item belongs in one room more than another. But if it’s useless, then it’s best to remove it from your home. That way you will not have to deal with it again.
Knowing the purpose of each room
Every room that you use should have at least one purpose. Also, each room can have more than one purpose. For example, here are some purposes of a typical living room:
A place to socialize
A place to relax
A place for audiovisual entertainment
A place to read
Knowing the purposes of a room helps you know what belongs there and what does not. If it doesn’t belong there, you should at least put it elsewhere. If it doesn’t belong in any room in the house, you should get rid of it.
Removing the easiest things first
When you declutter, it helps to start with the easiest things first. There is no point getting stuck when you are just starting out. As your decluttering continues, you will get better at it. This will make it easier to declutter the more difficult stuff. Here are some easy items to start with:
Things that bring up bad memories and anything else you don’t like
Trash
Clothes in disrepair
Expired Medicines
Stale food
Broken gadgets and appliances
After these, you can move on to more difficult items. This makes your decluttering easier and more pleasant.
Decluttering the easiest rooms first
When decluttering, it helps to start with the easiest rooms first. This helps you to see visible progress as soon as possible. Small rooms and closets are often good starting points. Rooms with the least amount of clutter are also good places to declutter first. You should save large rooms such as garages, basements, and attics for last.
Appreciating small victories.
Decluttering becomes easier with each victory. Although big victories are great, small victories help too. Whenever you remove items from your home, you should consider it to be at least a small victory. It is because you have added living space back to your home and living space is a valuable resource. In fact, the amount of living space you added is about equal to the volume of what you removed. The extra living space will make it easier to find proper places for things. This is crucial to keeping your place tidy. As you add more living space, it will be even easier to keep your home tidy.
It is also a small victory every time you refrain from buying something you have no use for. You will save the empty space that the useless item would have wasted. You will also save the time and money you would have wasted by buying the item.
In summary, decluttering is a step toward living a simpler life, and it is more mental than physical. Some things make decluttering easier. Here they are
Having a good reason to declutter
Not buying useless things
Detachment from things you declutter
Removing things from your home immediately
Knowing the purpose of each room
Removing the easiest things first
Decluttering the easiest rooms first
Appreciating small victories
Decluttering can be difficult, but these actions will make it easier.