Look around you and what do you see? Well, assuming you’re in your home, it might be that you see a lot of stuff – stuff that’s unnecessary, in the wrong place, or that you don’t even remember buying. It could even be trash.
The issue is that when something’s been in place for a while, we become used to it, and pretty much don’t see it anymore. However, our minds know it’s there, and if it’s not right, that can cause some big mental health problems like anxiety and stress, which isn’t something you want to have in your life. That’s why having a good declutter is often a great option – throw out anything you no longer need or want and you’ll feel much better. The question is where to start, though, and that’s what this blog is all about. Read on to find out more.
Don’t Go All In
When you’ve got it in your mind that it’s time to declutter, you might just want to get it over and done with – it’s a chore, after all – and that can lead you to leaping in without really thinking. That can be a good thing to start with, and you’ll get quite a lot done initially, but then what? You’ll get bored or feel overwhelmed and stop, leaving everything as it is. It might even be worse than it was before.
That’s why it’s best not to go all in right from the start, and instead start small. Just go one room or even just one area of a room at a time, and only move on when that’s completed and you’re happy with the results – it might just be one shelf, but that’s still better than nothing. Doing things slowly means you’ll achieve a lot more and you won’t feel overwhelmed, and although it might take longer, you’ll generally get better results.
Don’t Have Regrets
Another reason to take your time and perhaps even plan out how you’re going to declutter is so that you don’t have any regrets when it’s done. The last thing you’ll want is to throw something out or donate it only to realize that you actually wanted to keep it and that you’ll make good use of it.
Planning and making different piles of items, some to be thrown out, some to be donated, and some to be kept, can really help because it gives you a bit of breathing space and it means you have to think about every item you pick up – you have to make a decision about which pile to put it in. If you’re still worried about making a mistake, why not hire a storage unit? You can store your clutter in there until you’re absolutely sure you no longer need it.
Keep Up Good Habits
Once you’ve decluttered, you might be surprised at how quickly you can fall back into old habits, and soon enough, your home will be cluttered again. It can even happen without you thinking about it because you’ve got some bad habits.
Changing those habits is absolutely vital if you want to keep your home looking good and as uncluttered as possible, and some of those habits include putting things back where you got them from, having a place for everything, and doing daily (or at least weekly) tidying sessions. It all becomes a lot easier when you’ve got good habits in place.
