Having a clean and minimalist home is very trendy these days! Whether you subscribe to Marie Kondo’s approach, The Home Edit, or any other method, it is cool to be tidy. While this may not be for everyone (we see you!), we have some tips to keep your home decluttered and help you create your happy place!
You have to Start Somewhere
- Make A Promise To Yourself that You will Stop Collecting More Stuff. The most important thing to remember is “less is more”.
2. Start Small and Easy. If you want to get the momentum going, make sure you have a win! It is best to start with a small pile on the kitchen counter, or the clothes that you are ready to donate. Get something out that is easy to part with. This can make the idea of decluttering way less overwhelming.
3. Get Rid of The Things You Don’t Use. What do you have in your home that you don’t use? Is it because you have something similar that you use more? There are lots of ways we can reduce what we have simply by saying goodbye to those things that we don’t really need.
4. Don’t Feel Guilty. One reason to hold on to things is guilt. Maybe you have a gift that was given to you, but you don’t use it? Or a project that you thought you would get around to, but it is collecting dust? While these things can be hard to say goodbye to, it can be really freeing to let it go.
5. Bring Nostalgia into the Digital World. One of the best ways to keep your memories is digitally. Imagine that box of childhood memories digitized! It can be a great way to capture the moments and memories without taking up so much space. We love this frame for showing these memories and sharing them with friends and family. The Aura Frame.
6. Give Everything a Place. The best way to keep your house clean and clutter free, is to give everything a home and always put it in the same place when you are done with it. Someone once taught me, “touch it once”, if you use it and put it away right away, it doesn’t become a job you have to do later. If your house is anything like mine, it makes it way easier to find things, and saves me from being asked over and over where something is! It’s a win for everyone!
6 Steps to Kick-Start Your Decluttering Journey
- Clear One Surface. Clear your kitchen table, or counter and keep it clean!
- Designate a Space for Papers. Giving important papers a home will really help keep clutter down.
- Find a home for 5 things. Start with finding a home for 5 things and keep putting them there. Repeat.
- Donate Three Pieces for Clothing. Clothes take up a lot of space. Do you have three things that you can part with? Start with just three things. In no time, you will have a bag full.
- Dump One Drawer. Pick one drawer in your home to declutter. Empty it and see what is in it all at once. This will make sorting easier. Use baskets or drawer organizers to make it neat.
- Take Donations out to the car. It is a big enough job to go through your things and decide what to give away. The sooner you get it out of your house the better. There are some great charities that will even pick up items. What a great way to give your stuff a new life!
Find a Place to Take Your Donations
Here at LIFE we have a great charity that we love to work with! The Canadian Mental Health Association is a very valuable organization that cares about everyone’s human dignity and mental health. We have partnered with them and they will accept donations of home items that can be useful to help someone who is in need in our community! Ask us how to donate your household items to CMHA and we can make an introduction. Find the local charity in your area that works with people to help those in need. Your donations can go a long way!
Visualize Your Happy Place
While decluttering your home may seem like a daunting task, think of what your home will look like when it is all done. Try to do a little bit each day. Even setting aside as little as ten minutes can make a difference! Happy decluttering!
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