We have been stuck in our homes more than ever, using it as an office, a school, a place to relax and play. The result? A whole load of clutter slowly closes in on you and the family. At the start of 2022, when we are still advised to work from home, we should start to clear a way through the objects in our way.
Here we look at some of the best hints and tips for decluttering your home and making room for the life you want to lead.
Take small steps
While it might be emotionally cathartic to whizz through your home in one go, it will be easier and more productive if you start small. Knowing that you have to declutter and leaving it in the corner of your mind as something you need to do won’t work. You will likely be reading an article in a year asking how to declutter your home in 2023.
Consequently, the best way forward is to start with a five minute declutter every day. Choose an area, sort through some of your stuff, and then move on. Alternatively, work at a rate of one item a day or one bin bag at a time. Choose a way that makes the job feel possible to you and get into a habit of doing it every day. One great tip is to set a reminder on your smart speaker to prompt you to do it at a set time in the day.
Do it for charity
Doing something because it needs to be done is hard, and we can come up with a million reasons why it can wait until tomorrow. Yet, when one of those bags comes through the door from a charity, you can use this to motivate you to act. The small crying child or the hurt animal needs you to act, and you will do it for them, as you are a good person. External motivation is more often a powerful influence than our internal voices.
A good place to start your decluttering for charity is in the wardrobe. Think, when was the last time I wore this? And if you remember a time three years ago, this item should probably go to the charity.
Another way to trigger that motivation is by taking up a challenge. So, try the 12-12-12 challenge. You and your family each have to find 12 objects to recycle, 12 to donate and 12 that need to be returned to the rightful owner. Offer a prize to the person who does this most efficiently and effectively… you will be surprised how quickly your home becomes decluttered!
View your home as though you are visiting it for the first time
The problem might not be your levels of motivation. The issue might be that you don’t know what clutter is and your life. Everything in your home might feel like it has a role and history, and each thing is precious.
Here, you will have to separate yourself from the place in front of you. Taking away that subjective point of view is hard, but when you can do it, you will find it much easier to say, “I don’t need this anymore; it is just cluttering up my life.”
So, look around your home as though seeing it for the first time. Choose someone you just met and make up a story of inviting them into your house. What would they see? You will soon start to see the places in your home that need your attention.
Learn about the Japanese of decluttering and organizing
In the KonMari method, Marie Kondo offers a powerful mindset to tidying. There are two pieces of advice from this method that are a good place to start. First, declutter by category, not location. In other words, start with books, move on papers, work through your clothes. In this method, you leave the sentimental items until last. Then, hold them in your hands as you sort through these items. Does this item spark joy in you? If yes, keep it; if not, discard it.
This method is so helpful because it recognizes that our home is an extension of who we are. Therefore, decluttering is more than just tidying up; it explores what is important to you now.
Start your declutter now
These are all powerful approaches to decluttering. Really, if you listen carefully, the problem is one of procrastination. Therefore, if you are reading this article, you are likely putting off this job you already know you need to get done. The answer? Do it now.
