Reduce Your Stress Levels by Decluttering

After the holidays, you might find that your home feels a bit cluttered, whether it’s from new gifts, excess decorations, or extra clothing layers like jackets, hats, and scarves. Essentially, clutter is any pile (or piles!) of things that need to be sorted, organized, and, sometimes, trashed. Having clutter around the house can be stressful, sometimes to the point that it feels insurmountable. We promise you it’s not! Here you will find a list of ways to declutter your home – and your mind!

Separate What You Don’t Need or Want

Look at your clutter: Is it clothes or dishes? Pick a pile (if you have more than one) and decide which items you want or need to keep and which items you will donate or dispose of. Separating out the things that will be removed from your home altogether should be immediately satisfying.

Create a Sorting System

At this point, you will have identified the things you want to keep. The next step is to sort each item by category and place where it belongs. Having a designated spot for everything helps you make room for it and store it properly. It also ensures you continue to keep everything in its assigned place so that the vicious cluttering cycle doesn’t continue.

Make Time to Declutter

We often see a mess and say we will tackle it “later,” but we keep putting it off until it seems out of control. When you schedule times to declutter and stick to that schedule, it prepares you to get into the right mindset to get your home organized. Set as much time as you think you can handle – even 15 minutes is a step in the right direction. You should also set a date for when you want to get everything done. Giving yourself a deadline to complete your decluttering can help keep you motivated.

Notice the Calm

Remember: A clear and clean space means a clear and clean mind! The way your physical environment looks affects your mental health. So once you’ve organized your home, notice that you feel reinvigorated and less stressed. Keep this feeling top of mind as time goes on. If you can create a habit of putting things away as soon as you’ve used them or they’re clean, it can go a long way in preventing clutter in the first place.