I don’t know about you, but I find my anxiety skyrockets when my house is overflowing with stuff. Piles of mail, kids toys, and craft supplies can quickly dominate our homes unless we make a commitment to declutter.
Clutter makes me feel overwhelmed with my entire life, and in consequence I spend more time frozen in despair than I do accomplishing anything at all. I used to try to declutter everything at once, but that made my entire house look like a bomb went off.
Sound familiar?
Bottom line: Clutter will control your life if you allow it! And who is in control of your life? YOU!
So, lets tackle the clutter once and for all…without losing our minds or destroying our home! In this post I will share with you my 5 easy steps to combat clutter FAST. Do you have 15 minutes? Then you have time to destroy a few piles of clutter.
Note Your Clutter Problem Zones
Grab my decluttering worksheets above (or a notebook) and begin to make a list of every cupboard, drawer, surface area, and closet you need to declutter and organize. I know this seems like a lot, but you want to break it down into small pieces.
If you take 15 minutes to do this first step now, you’ll be able to know right away where you left off and what’s next. So, do yourself a favor and don’t skip it.
The first time I did this exercise I had over 50 tiny areas on my list. This is GOOD. You want every last one of those clutter catchers written down.
Label Your Clutter Problem Zones
Take some washi tape or masking tape and number each area to correspond with your list. This serves two purposes:
First, you now have a visual of the areas that need to be gone through and you can keep track of your progress.
Second, peeling those little numbers off and crossing them off your list will make you feel SO accomplished!
Prepare to Declutter!
Make sure you have a garbage bag, sell and/or donate bag, a “put somewhere else” basket, and a shred bag ready to sort your clutter into.
Decluttering is a GREAT way to make some money, too! Check out my 7 Easy Steps To Selling Online and Maximizing Your Profits
Try really hard not to handle an item more than once. If you don’t plan on keeping an item, ask yourself these quick questions: Can you donate or sell it? Is it trash? Can it be recycled? Does it contain any sensitive information? (Shred it first!).
Ready? Set? Declutter!
Turn on some tunes and set your timer for 15 minutes. Now use this time to focus on just one area from your list. Even the craziest drawer or cluttered shelf can be greatly improved in just 15 minutes!
If you finish your first area in less time just keep going. When your timer dings you can take a break if you need one or reset your timer and move onto the next area.
Make sure you remove the labels from areas you’ve finished and check them off your list. Doesn’t that feel good?!
Keep Your Decluttering Momentum!
Clutter is such a sanity killer. By cutting it up into small, easy to tackle pieces you’re less likely to get overwhelmed and give up. It doesn’t matter if you can only check one or two clutter problem zones off today, that’s still progress!
Commit to declutter at least 2 or 3 areas a day and hold yourself accountable. Be proud of the peace you are cultivating in your home and your mind–keep it up. YOU ARE WORTH IT!
Make Some Money Off Your Clutter!
Don’t forget to learn the right way to list and sell your unwanted clutter online, and maximize your profits! There is a buyer for everything on the internet, and you’ll be surprised by how much money you can make by following my easy steps.
What are the areas in your home where clutter accumulates the most? How do you keep it under control? Comment below and let’s tackle it together!
Agreed on all this! I sold a house last year and moved into an apt with my boyfriend… lightening the load was life-changing!
Isn’t it amazing how ‘stuff’ can affect us so much? The last time I moved I made a point to ONLY pack the items I loved and truly needed. Everything else was sold, given away to friends, or donated. It was actually very easy to declutter that way! My next clutter zone to tackle though will be my craft and sewing supplies. Wish me luck!
My husband and I talk about decluttering all the time and do very little of it. This is a great reminder. Since we are at home for the holidays this year, for 2 weeks, we might as well tackle the task right?
Absolutely! It’s so easy to avoid dealing with clutter until it just takes over everything. I have tried so many different ways to declutter over the years, but this method of breaking it up into small, easy to tackle areas, makes it so much easier to keep the clutter at bay. Let me know how it works for you!
I’m so much like you. I’m hoping to declutter my son’s toys without WWIII starting! They drive me insane. He’s got way too much of them.
Oh man….trying to declutter when you have children is a bit like trying to brush your teeth and eat an oreo at the same time. Impossible! Although, when you get them involved it can be easier. I remind my kids that when we declutter it makes keeping their rooms clean MUCH easier. Plus, I let them come with me when I drop up donations so they feel like they are a part of it. They love the idea of the toys they’ve outgrown going to another lucky kid 🙂