It’s been a long day, but you’re finally on your way home and can’t wait to plop down on the sofa and put your feet up. Then you see your sofa. Or actually, you don’t, because it’s hiding under a pile of clothes, stray magazines, and a toy or two. So, you push everything to one side and get comfortable. Ah, it’s so nice to be home, it’s just so relaxing…or is it?
What wouldn’t you give for a nice, calm, relaxing space to come home to every day? What would you say if I told you that is entirely possible and even easy to achieve? All you have to do is get ready to say goodbye to a home’s worst enemy: CLUTTER.
Identify the enemy
Clutter is anything in your home that you have no use for and does not have a designated space when it isn’t being used. Have a look at your kitchen countertop or entryway console. Do you see that ‘free’ toy that came with your child’s happy meal? It’s clutter. That complementary catalogue that you have no interest in flipping through? Clutter. Those moisturiser samples you have no intention of using? You guessed it, clutter.
Sometimes clutter is less obvious though. When we can’t see it, or rather we are so used to seeing it, it feels as though it belongs wherever it is.
Think about that thick, itchy sweater in your closet that you constantly have to move around to reach the sweaters you actually wear? Or the vase that used to fit perfectly in your last home, but is only collecting dust in your new one? Those things are clutter too. And it is high time they were out of your home, and your life.
no time like the present
Why hold on to things you won’t use, and don’t need? How do you know when it’s time to declutter? If you’re still reading this post, then the answer is ‘now’.
“But it’s been particularly cold this winter. I may need that sweater,” you think. “What if I run out of hand cream and need one of those samples?” you ask. Be honest for a moment. You’ve overlooked this poor sweater – even on the coldest of days – for the past five winters. Why would this winter be any different?
And the last time you ran out of hand cream, you just put up with dry skin for a couple of days until you made it to the store to pick up your favourite moisturiser. Never before had you thought of making use of those unwanted samples. A quick gander at your junk drawer overflowing with free samples of all kinds is proof of that.
When objects in your home take up not only space, but time out of your day, and are a source of stress rather than comfort or pleasure, it’s time to say goodbye.
Most of us find it hard to say goodbye to the things we accumulate. Sure, some things hold sentimental value, but most of the time, it just feels good to have lots of stuff. In today’s world, success is often measured by the things you own.
It’s all fun and games until that stuff starts to own you. When objects in your home take up not only space, but time out of your day, and are a source of stress rather than comfort or pleasure, it’s time to say goodbye.
Say Goodbye to Clutter
There are two main steps to achieving a clutter-free and stress-free home. The first step has to be purging your home of anything that doesn’t add value to your sense of comfort and wellbeing. The second step is organising the items that make the cut and really do belong in your life.
It’s very important to respect the order of these two steps. Tidying up a room and organising everything without first taking the time to rid it of any surplus is just prolonging your journey to the stress-free home you desire.
So, grab a few empty boxes and start sorting through the chaos. Divide things into four main categories: 1. Throw Away, 2. Give Away, 3. Recycle, and 4. Keep.
Any item that is broken or expired gets thrown out (responsibly of course). Anything you haven’t used in the past year, give it away; it may be of great use to someone else. Recycle anything you can, because, well, the environment. And finally, keep the things that truly add to the quality of your life. You’ll need to be ruthless at this stage for the second step to go smoothly.
Once you’ve finished your purge, you will have a better idea of how to organise the objects that remain. A great way to organise your things is with boxes and containers. As soon as you know what you have, you’ll know how many boxes or containers you’ll need to give everything a home.
Coming home to a calm and relaxing space is really only two steps away. It’s up to you to take those steps, of course, and you must do so with determination and patience. But the dream of a clutter-free home is definitely within reach. So, what are you waiting for? Put on some comfortable clothing, and your favourite music, and get to it!
