For the longest time, I have struggled with the basic tasks of decluttering. Letting go of unwanted knick-knacks. Getting rid of old and expired medicines. Clearing off the flat surfaces. I would rather convince myself that I just didn’t have the time to declutter rather than facing the fact that I wasn’t willing to go through the emotions of it. And I know that that’s the story of a lot of people who would be reading this right now.
While it’s unrealistic to expect yourself to turn into a professional declutterer overnight, it’s not that difficult to incorporate small decluttering habits in your day-to-day life to keep clutter at bay. These little tips will not only help you sleep better at night but will also help improve your focus & concentration that you need to achieve your goals.
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Now you may have all the desire to purge your home of every unneeded item while not knowing where to start. From getting smart at hiding clutter to making use of vertical spaces, knowing about a few smart decluttering tips can actually be a game-changer for your home.
Here are some of the best decluttering tips that can help you overturn the mess in your home to make it more livable than ever:
1. Declutter Before You Organize
Trying to declutter and organize at the same time can be a huge recipe for disaster. Sort through your stuff first, get rid of what’s not needed and then organize what remains.
2. Understand Why You Struggle To Declutter
You need to figure out why it’s so hard for you to declutter your stuff. Is it the lack of time that is stopping you? Or you don’t know where to start? Knowing your struggles can help you move past the problem and declutter with intent.
3. Don’t Shy Away From Seeking Help
Keep your ego aside and ask a close friend or family member to lend you a helping hand. Decluttering can sometimes be overwhelming and having a company can make it a lot easier for you to get rid of what’s not needed.
4. Have An Accountability Buddy
If you are afraid of losing the track while decluttering, get an accountability buddy to help you stay focused. Share your goals with this accountability buddy and let them know about the progress.
5. Use Vertical Spaces
Don’t shy away from introducing vertical storage solutions like hanging shelves, hooks, hangers, wall-mounting racks and similar storage.
6. Create Catch-All Stations
Make sure that you have no more than a couple of catch-all stations where you can toss random items. It’s a great way of keeping the flat surfaces from catching clutter until you get the time to return the items sitting in your catch-all basket to their rightful homes.
7. Take Before And After Pictures
If you find it hard to motivate yourself to declutter, get into the habit of taking pictures before and after you’ve decluttered a room. This will help you keep a track of the progress you’ve made while also keeping you motivated to declutter more often.
8. Find A Home For Everything
Ideally, every item you own should have a home of its own to sit in. And if there’s anything you can’t give a home to, it’s a sign that the item isn’t important enough for you. Get rid of it at the soonest.
9. Ask Decluttering Questions
If you are an overthinker or an emotional person, it’s time that you start decluttering with a list of questions that can help you make informed decisions. Here’s a list of posts that can help:
- Questions to ask when decluttering your entire home
- Questions to ask when decluttering your clothes
- Questions to ask when decluttering books
10. Use Storage-Friendly Furniture
Look for space-saving furniture that can fulfill your storage needs as well. If you’re looking for an ottoman, make sure that it has some storage space to toss in a few items. If you are planning to buy a coffee table and a dining table, try and look for something that has both the functions available in one.
11. Use Decluttering Apps
Make use of apps like Decluttr, Centriq and Pantry Check to make it easier for yourself to keep your home clutter-free and organized. Here’s a detailed post on how these apps can work to tidy up your home.
12. Set Decluttering Goals
Do not start getting rid of any item in your home without knowing why you’re doing so. Do you want to declutter because you’re moving home? Do you want to declutter with the goal of making it easier for yourself to clean and maintain your home? Having clear goals can go a long way in achieving decluttering success.
13. Do Not Have A ‘Maybe’ Pile
If you have a habit of holding on to stuff ‘just in case’, stop right now or you’ll never be able to declutter your home. Understand that ‘someday’ will never arrive and no item in your home will suddenly become useful if it has been collecting dust for the last 10 years.
14. Make It Fun
If the thought of decluttering your home sounds boring or leaves you feeling overwhelmed, try to make it fun. You can play some really fun decluttering games, take interesting decluttering challenges or simply put some tunes on as you declutter.
15. Make Decluttering A Daily Habit
No matter how busy you are or how challenging it is a task for you to declutter, form a habit of doing a 15-minute clutter sweep every night before you sleep.
16. Get Rid Of The Clutter Pile Immediately
If you don’t deal with the stuff you’ve just decluttered, it will find its way back into your home. Donate, trash, sell, recycle or do whatever it needs to be done to take the clutter away. Here’s a post that can help you deal with the pile of decluttered items.
I hope these decluttering tips help you in tidying up your home and in reaping all the benefits of a clutter-free living space.
Are there any other decluttering tips you would like me to add to the above list? Feel free to drop a comment below or write me at hello@theaestheticabode.com.