The big push for decluttering and minimalistic living is becoming increasingly appealing. Even if you love every item in your home, it needs to be organized. Clutter makes it hard to find things, may make you overspend replacing what you know you already have, and can even interfere with your sleep. In case you need some motivation to get you started, here are some reasons why you should go forth on your decluttering journey.
1) Peace of Mind
An uncluttered home is restful to the eyes. It’s also good for your brain! Walking into a cluttered house sends your mind into list mode. You start dwelling on all the “I need to, I have to, I must…” projects that can run around your brain and make it impossible for you to relax fully and rest deeply.
To calm your brain and settle your brain down, put your decision-making muscle to work. This isn’t about getting rid of all your stuff. This is about deciding where it goes and letting everyone in the house know that this item has a place when not in use.
2) You Can Find Stuff
Decluttering and organizing doesn’t mean that every little item has its own container or a custom label, though that can be fun. The objectives of decluttering include:
- Getting rid of what you don’t want or need
- Grouping what you do want and need into like objects or purposes
- Establish an organizational system and maintain it
For example, if you struggle to find the proper spice in your cupboard when you need it, designate a shelf or basket for sweets and another for savories. Garlic and cinnamon are both spices but seldom go in the same dish. If you’re making lasagna, you need items from the savory shelf. Baking a pie? Go to the other shelf.
3) Make Some Money
It’s said that if you don’t know what’s in a taped box in your home, you should toss it. This isn’t bad advice on the surface, but you should be aware that you may toss a valuable keepsake.
For example, you may be in possession of an antique or old collectible. Be aware that there are collectors of all sorts of objects all over the world. If your old Barbie dolls are gathering dust but none of your family members want them, you can sell vintage toy collections online other for a pretty price tag. There are many old toys that may not have been worth a lot when they were new, but are now coveted items for collectors.
4) Ease of Downsizing
Once things are decluttered and organizing, you may find that you can live a bit smaller. Note: This is not a push for tiny living or a micro-apartment. However, living smaller can also mean living cheaper, so if you’re looking to save a little money, a good job of decluttering can open up a lot of possibilities.
If you must downsize, work with an assistant. Part of the hassle of decluttering is throwing things away, and many of us struggle with the finality of this decision. Enter each space to be decluttered with three containers. You need
- a basket for things you want to keep
- a box for things you want to donate or sell, and
- a trash bag for garbage.
When the box is full, your assistant can seal it with tape. They might even need to load it in the car for you. When the trash bag is full, ask them to tie it up and take it to the dumpster. Pay attention to the things in the basket and let the rest go.
5) Flexibility and Mobility
Once you love everything in your home, you will be free of a lot of worries and stress. For example, if you’ve been hanging on to things because they were (unlovable) gifts, give them away. If you’ve held on to things you thought you could repurpose or put to better use but know that you’ll never get to them, donate or discard them.
If everything in your home is truly lovable and chosen by you, you know exactly how much space you need and what, if anything, you need to purchase to make your home more enjoyable.
Decluttering isn’t easy, so get some help if it seems too daunting to do it alone. Decision fatigue means you may start strong but end with a whimper because you simply can’t choose anymore. An assistant can help you stay strong in your choices of what to keep.
