Research has long shown that clutter can have a negative impact on our lives for several reasons, and that decluttering our homes can help us feel more content, less anxious and even give us more time to spend doing the things we love.
If your home is full of clutter and you suspect it might be impacting you in a way that you’re not comfortable with, follow these 8 tips to make your home as clean and tidy as your mind:
- Arrange clutter in categories
Experts say that gathering together all of your clutter and placing it in one space, is the best and most effective way to assess what you have, and decide what can go and what should stay. Try this instead of tackling one space at a time, and see how quickly you can declutter your home.
- Ask yourself whether each item of clutter brings you happiness
Pick up each item of clutter, try looking at it through fresh eyes, and ask yourself what it means to you and whether it brings you a sense of happiness. If it evokes nothing positive, get rid of it.
- Consider whether you will ever read unread books
Its easy to pile books up over the years and tell ourselves that we’ll get around to reading them one day. But will you? If any books you’ve collected aren’t likely to be read anytime soon, consider donating them or selling them online if they’re in a good condition.
- Recycle piled up paper
As with books, stashes of paperwork and old correspondence can accumulate over time, but if left lying around, will serve only as a magnet for dust. Check through any piles of papers you might have, decide what has to be kept, and for everything else, recycle it, pronto!
- Don’t hang on to unwanted gifts
We’ve all been given a gift we really don’t like at some point in our lives, and we often feel guilty about giving it away, or worry that the giver might notice that it’s gone or isn’t being used. However, hanging on to such gifts simply leaves you with more clutter that you neither want nor need, so be ruthless, and donate or sell any unwanted gifts.
- Recycle packaging
It can be tempting to keep packaging that electronic items came in, for example, as we tell ourselves that it might one day come in useful for repackaging. However, such packaging can take up space and gather dust, so try to recycle it as soon as you take the item out of it.
- Get rid of miscellaneous items
From buttons and screws, to trinkets and containers, if you haven’t used them in the last month and aren’t likely to, get rid of them.
- Eliminate old photos and keepsakes
While nobody is suggesting that you throw out all of your photos, in general, there will only be a few that actually evoke positive memories or feelings. So, sort through them all and select only those that you truly hold the dear, along with mementos and keepsakes that are really only taking up space and gathering dust.
Once you’ve successfully decluttered your home, there’s no better time to clean it from top to bottom, and help clean your mind at the same time. Hiring a cleaning service is the best way to get the job done with minimal fuss and minimal disruption to your life.
