Clutter is an inconvenience. But did you know, it doesn’t just make your living or work space look messy – it can also affect your state of mind too? Keeping your environment clutter-free helps you to feel calmer and more organised and lets you find what you need faster.
If you’d like to gain more control over your space, there are some practical tips which can help – so read on to learn the top ten ways to declutter your home more effectively.
1. Decide on your goals
Before you start clearing your clutter, define some clear goals. What do you want to achieve in each room or area? Do you need more storage space, want to enjoy a cleaner look, or make your space more functional? If you keep a clearly defined goal in mind as you declutter, you’ll find it will help you keep motivated and aid your focus, so you’ll stay on course and finish the job faster.
2. Take baby steps
Don’t try to declutter your entire house or office all at once or you’ll soon suffer overwhelm. Instead, start less ambitiously, with just one room, or even a small area of a room. By taking it slower and getting to grips with smaller spaces first, you’ll quickly start clearing your clutter and seeing results, which will give you the sense of achievement you’ll need to keep going.
3.Try employing the three-box method
As you declutter, employ the three-box method to sort items that you’re tidying away. Reserve one box for items that you want to keep, another for items you plan to giveaway or sell, and one box for pieces that you want to toss or recycle. As you sort through your possessions, neatly place each item into one of these boxes and you’ll find you’ll get through the process faster. Decluttering using this method also has the additional benefit of helping you make decisions faster and get better organised.
4. Tackle your clutter by category
You might think you need to go about decluttering room by room, but why not consider decluttering by item type instead? Decluttering by category can be really helpful, for example, you could gather all your clothing and sort through it all at once, deciding what you want to keep and where you want to store it. Taking this sort of approach lets you evaluate the scope of your belongings, so you can see what you’re hoarding unnecessarily.
5. Let yourself be ruthless
When deciding what you need to keep and what to get rid of, be as ruthless as you can in your evaluation. Before you make a decision, ask yourself if the item serves a purpose, or brings you joy. If any item doesn’t meet these criteria, then it’s probably time to let it go.
6. Decide where every item will go
One of the core principles of successful decluttering is to find a place for every single item. Don’t just leave stuff out or in a pile, as then it’s very likely to become clutter. If you’re stuck for space, invest in handy aesthetic storage solutions such as wooden boxes, shelving, or woven baskets, as this will help you organise your belongings better.
7. Use the “one in, one out” rule
Decluttering shouldn’t just be about sorting the clutter you already have, as you also need to prevent future clutter from piling up. Practice the “one in, one out” rule, where for every new item you bring into your home, you remove an old one. Do this regularly and you’ll prevent clutter from building up again, while keeping your space nicely streamlined.
8. Go digital and slash your paper clutter
Paper can account for a surprisingly significant portion of clutter in your work or living space, as it can build up fast. Go digital instead and order online bills, invoices and statements online – and purchase a scanner so you can digitize important documents that you can’t get. Recycle any unnecessary documents, taking care to shred any sensitive information first. It’s also good idea to create a filing system for your most crucial paper documents, so you can easily and quickly find them.
9. Keep up the good work with consistent maintenance
It’s no good just decluttering once, then allowing everything to build up all over again – to make the job last, you need to continuously maintain. Take the time to indulge in regular mini decluttering sessions monthly or weekly to clear any excess. By taking an hour or so out every week, or a day a month to clear it, you’ll soon notice the difference as you’ll prevent clutter from piling up.
10. Seek help if needed
Decluttering can be a major challenge, particularly when you’re sorting out items that have a sentimental or emotional value, or if you have a tendency to hoard things. Some people find it difficult to decide what to let go of, especially when it comes to certain types of belongings, while others can feel overwhelmed, so consider getting support from a therapist, a friend or even a decluttering professional.
