10 Ways To Declutter Mentally And Physically
Have too much stuff and live in a shoebox? Well, if you live somewhere like London that is probably the situation. And even if it isn’t, you probably still have clutter somewhere. So here are a few ways to declutter both mentally and physically.
1. Give away your clothes
Sit down in front of your wardrobe and take everything out. I mean it, empty your wardrobe and no don’t worry; you won’t be giving everything away. Start making three different piles; first one will be the things you wear often which will be the definitely keep pile, the second pile will be the things that are small, broken, old or you just don’t wear them anymore, this will be throw away pile and the last one will be the things that are in good condition but you are not sure if you wear them anymore. Keep the last pile for a month and if you wear anything form that pile during that month, keep that item and give away the rest. This is one of the best ways to declutter!
2. It isn’t keeping memories, it’s hoarding
If you are someone like me then you keep all of your old birthday cards and all your old tickets for the sake of “memories”. Well, trust me you will never look back at those old birthday cards, or the decorations from your graduation party. You have enough pictures on your Instagram anyhow, its okay to just bin them. It is actually more than okay, it is recommended.
3. Little bits and bobs
There are some things that are always just roaming around the house but are never used or can be used such as; finished pens, extra buttons etc. Just take them all and bin them, or maybe create a little space for any of them that can be useful. This
4. Write it down
Write down why you need decluttering in your life? Is it for physical purposes such as you need more space in the flat or is it for mental purposes, maybe you keep over thinking about stuff, you feel overwhelmed. Whatever it is just written it down and try to discover why you need the decluttering, and how it is going to make you feel better. This will motivate you.
This could also be good if you are worried about too much work. Again just write it down and in that way you won’t have to stress about remembering it and you still won’t forget it.
5. Have only ONE junk drawer
There is always going to be a few things that will be considered as junk but still manage to be useful; so create a drawer for them. You can fill that drawer up with staplers, matches etc. Just make sure that they don’t look to cramped and that drawer stays the only one.
6. Keep it clean
When you are trying to minimise the clutter in your life it is very important to make sure you keep your surroundings clean as well. So before you start throwing things away, do a big clean at your home. This will also allow you to find stuff that are no longer in use or just take up space.
7. Storing things
A great tip that I have learned when I first started to minimise the clutter in my flat was to store the things correctly. And how is that done? Just create a place for them wherever they are used the most. In this way you will always remember where they are, and it will be much easier to put it back when you are done with it.
8. Don’t start before you finish
We always have big or small projects in our houses whether that is redecorating a room or just changing the shower curtains. Well, no matter the project is, don’t start a new one before you are finished with your current project.
9. The three questions
This is very important when you are purchasing something. No matter what you are buying always ask yourself; Do I really need it? Do I have space for it? And if yes, where is that space? This will stop you from buying anything unnecessary or doesn’t fit. This is one of the best ways to declutter!
10. The 5-minute rule
This has changed my life massively. I learned this during a podcast called Happier With Gretchen Rubin and it has done wonders. What it means is; if you can do something in 5 minutes, do it now. Whether that means hanging your coat or emptying your bag.
