One of the most often-overlooked parts of a self-care routine is tidying up a home. Not only does it provide you with a clean space that you’d be comfortable living in–it also benefits you physically, emotionally, and mentally.
And when it comes to keeping a neat and tidy home, most people incorporate one task into their spring-cleaning checklist: decluttering.
Decluttering refers to the removal of unnecessary things from one’s home. For most people, it’s a straightforward way of cleaning a home. And for many avid declutterers, it’s simply a way of life.
But what’s the big fuss about decluttering anyway? And how do you get started on decluttering?
What Is Clutter?
Before embarking on a journey to the decluttering lifestyle, it’s important to understand what clutter is exactly.
Clutter doesn’t necessarily mean a rolled-up piece of paper or a pile of unwashed clothes sitting in the corner of your bedroom.
If you have things you neither need nor want, you can consider them clutter. And if you feel stressed, anxious, and suffocated whenever you see those things, it’s time to get rid of them.
In some situations, clutter becomes as serious as hoarding.
But it doesn’t have to reach that point to know that yours has already become a problem.
As long as your things don’t provide value or “spark joy” anymore, they serve as clutter.
Why Should You Declutter?
You don’t have to be a dedicated minimalist just to start decluttering. And you don’t have to wait for spring to do so.
Decluttering from time to time benefits not only your home but also you.
Cleaner Home
Let’s start with the most obvious benefit of decluttering: your home will be much cleaner.
After getting rid of everything you don’t need, it’ll be a whole lot easier to organize your stuff and clean your entire abode. Plus, you get to enjoy a more spacious home free of obstructions.
More Energy and Savings
Decluttering is a simple way of living. It lets you break the shackles of material possessions and helps you keep your priorities in check.
When you get the hang of decluttering, you can easily resist the temptation of buying more stuff you don’t need. And instead of cleaning up your unneeded mess, you can find more time and energy for other things.
Better You
Rather than stressing over cleaning up your seldom-used stuff, your mind becomes more at ease once you remove all of your clutter. And once you do veer away from a state of disorder, you can definitely feel more in control of your life.
How Do You Start Decluttering?
Decluttering may seem like a tedious and overwhelming chore. But when you begin sweeping out the mountains of chaos, you’ll find a fresh world of freedom behind them.
Here are our tips to help you get started on decluttering… and keep out clutter forever:
Plan and Sort
Identify all of the problem areas in your home and arrange your things in each area according to category. Then, figure out which of the stuff you often use and need to keep. Finally, segregate the items that you no longer need and decide what to do about them: donate, sell, or throw away?
While doing this, try to stifle any feelings of nostalgia and focus on how you want your home and lifestyle to look.
Refuse to Buy Stuff
By shopping for more stuff, it becomes easier to add to the clutter. So to tackle the problem of clutter, you have to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Declutter Regularly
Be committed to a clutter-free lifestyle by decluttering several times a year. That way, you won’t have to do a huge tiresome decluttering session every year.
Enjoy the Process
This is not a race. Be patient with yourself and even if you start slow, the important thing is that you started in the first place. Consistency is key to maintaining a clutter-free home and life.
Oxford at Country Club Apartments in Baytown, TX