Do you know that the minimilistic way of life is trending?
To know if you fit in, take this mini quiz —
1- Is your home brimming with stuff you don’t need?
2- You want to clear things out but you don’t know where to start?
3- Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by the clutter around you that you could barely breathe?
4- Do you have the will and mindset to now own only what you need?
5- Are you willing to become a need-based shopper?
6- Is a ‘rich life’ defined by life’s experiences versus what you own?
If you have answered ‘YES’ to most of the above, you are ready to overcome clutter of mind and space. You are trending as a minimilist!
Clutter is bad for you, both physically and mentally, yet the majority of us continue to drown in a sea of our own possessions. Maybe things bring back memories or you just don’t know what to do with what you have. Worry not, decluttering your house isn’t a mammoth task and can be easily fixed.
The first step to decluttering is understanding that physical clutter is often rooted to something deeper, something psychological. Once you truly understand what’s behind all your clutter, the actual act of decluttering becomes easier. Decluttering doesn’t mean getting rid of everything you own. It is a balance, creating harmony between chaos and order.
A few ways to declutter —
Start with the obvious, It is time to make all those pending decisions of ‘to keep’ or ‘let go’. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the mess around you and do not know where to start, focus on the easiest and most obvious problems.
Start with surface clutter —
Daily do’s —
– Take out the trash
– Make your bed, a well made bed brings a sense instant calm and order to a room.
– Clear your work desk when done with work for the day.
– Stuff soiled clothes in a designated laundry bag, not on the floor.
– Load the dishwasher from the sink every night, rather than stack the sink with stuff till it’s full and then begin to load the dishwasher.
– Throw away stale food, sauces or spoiled raw veggies from your refrigerator.
Doing this daily, will automatically reduce clutter almost instantly.
Monthly do’s —
– Sieve through shelves and drawers all over your home, when this is done regularly, clearing becomes a cakewalk.
– Get rid of toiletries, medicines, expired spices, foodstuff that is not of use anymore.
Yearly do’s —
– Wardrobe declutter, look at each pile, if you have not worn something for a year, chances are you wont wear it for another year! Give it away to the needy. Expensive stuff is what we tend to hold on to, it’s hard to let go, here is where your generous heart comes into play- give it to someone who will appreciate and treasure the gift.
– Kitchen utensils, tools and empty boxes, replace old with new, the key word is REPLACE, not add.
Tips to focus on the bigger clutter projects at hand —
Understand the reality and create a clear plan —
Visualise how you would like things to look and then begin finding a home for everything you wish to keep. Make a designated position or place for everything and put things back in its place. Look inside all the cupboards, drawers and boxes and sort through everything you own. Keep what is truly essential and needed.
Break up decluttering into stages and set a time limit —
Do not look at cleaning your home as one large job, break it up into achievable goals. Go room by room, drawer by drawer, cupboard by cupboard. You can also set a timer for five to fifteen minutes and vow to keep going until the time is up. Small wins are still wins. Do not get distracted while doing a task and take a break after each win.
Don’t be too hard on yourself —
It is normal to feel a bit overwhelmed when you are surrounded by clutter. Sometimes because of the fast pace of our everyday lives, things tend to pile up and accumulate. Try not to blame yourself instead focus on decluttering rather than the actual clutter. Acknowledging the connection between your mind, body, emotions and most importantly your environment, is the first step towards change.
Keep, recycle, garbage and donate —
Your job is simply to make decisions: Is this staying or going? Go through all your things and decide what you want to keep, recycle, donate or what needs to be thrown away. These are core decisions that need to be made while decluttering. Trust your gut.
Recognise the power of the ripple effect —
When you first start clearing, you might feel like you’re not making progress quickly enough but keep at it. Once you’re done, the simplest thing you can do to make your life easier going forward is to follow the ‘one in and one out rule.’ If you buy something new, make sure to get rid of something old. Consistency is key. Remember- the mess always gets worse before it gets better.
Easy steps to overcome clutter
Vinita Alvares Fernandes
Do you know that the minimilistic way of life is trending?
To know if you fit in, take this mini quiz —
1- Is your home brimming with stuff you don’t need?
2- You want to clear things out but you don’t know where to start?
3- Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by the clutter around you that you could barely breathe?
4- Do you have the will and mindset to now own only what you need?
5- Are you willing to become a need-based shopper?
6- Is a ‘rich life’ defined by life’s experiences versus what you own?
If you have answered ‘YES’ to most of the above, you are ready to overcome clutter of mind and space. You are trending as a minimilist!
Clutter is bad for you, both physically and mentally, yet the majority of us continue to drown in a sea of our own possessions. Maybe things bring back memories or you just don’t know what to do with what you have. Worry not, decluttering your house isn’t a mammoth task and can be easily fixed.
The first step to decluttering is understanding that physical clutter is often rooted to something deeper, something psychological. Once you truly understand what’s behind all your clutter, the actual act of decluttering becomes easier. Decluttering doesn’t mean getting rid of everything you own. It is a balance, creating harmony between chaos and order.
A few ways to declutter —
Start with the obvious, It is time to make all those pending decisions of ‘to keep’ or ‘let go’. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the mess around you and do not know where to start, focus on the easiest and most obvious problems.
Start with surface clutter —
Daily do’s —
– Take out the trash
– Make your bed, a well made bed brings a sense instant calm and order to a room.
– Clear your work desk when done with work for the day.
– Stuff soiled clothes in a designated laundry bag, not on the floor.
– Load the dishwasher from the sink every night, rather than stack the sink with stuff till it’s full and then begin to load the dishwasher.
– Throw away stale food, sauces or spoiled raw veggies from your refrigerator.
Doing this daily, will automatically reduce clutter almost instantly.
Monthly do’s —
– Sieve through shelves and drawers all over your home, when this is done regularly, clearing becomes a cakewalk.
– Get rid of toiletries, medicines, expired spices, foodstuff that is not of use anymore.
Yearly do’s —
– Wardrobe declutter, look at each pile, if you have not worn something for a year, chances are you wont wear it for another year! Give it away to the needy. Expensive stuff is what we tend to hold on to, it’s hard to let go, here is where your generous heart comes into play- give it to someone who will appreciate and treasure the gift.
– Kitchen utensils, tools and empty boxes, replace old with new, the key word is REPLACE, not add.
Tips to focus on the bigger clutter projects at hand —
Understand the reality and create a clear plan —
Visualise how you would like things to look and then begin finding a home for everything you wish to keep. Make a designated position or place for everything and put things back in its place. Look inside all the cupboards, drawers and boxes and sort through everything you own. Keep what is truly essential and needed.
Break up decluttering into stages and set a time limit —
Do not look at cleaning your home as one large job, break it up into achievable goals. Go room by room, drawer by drawer, cupboard by cupboard. You can also set a timer for five to fifteen minutes and vow to keep going until the time is up. Small wins are still wins. Do not get distracted while doing a task and take a break after each win.
Don’t be too hard on yourself —
It is normal to feel a bit overwhelmed when you are surrounded by clutter. Sometimes because of the fast pace of our everyday lives, things tend to pile up and accumulate. Try not to blame yourself instead focus on decluttering rather than the actual clutter. Acknowledging the connection between your mind, body, emotions and most importantly your environment, is the first step towards change.
Keep, recycle, garbage and donate —
Your job is simply to make decisions: Is this staying or going? Go through all your things and decide what you want to keep, recycle, donate or what needs to be thrown away. These are core decisions that need to be made while decluttering. Trust your gut.
Recognise the power of the ripple effect —
When you first start clearing, you might feel like you’re not making progress quickly enough but keep at it. Once you’re done, the simplest thing you can do to make your life easier going forward is to follow the ‘one in and one out rule.’ If you buy something new, make sure to get rid of something old. Consistency is key. Remember- the mess always gets worse before it gets better.
Allow a few ‘clutter zones’ —
You don’t have to get rid of every miscellaneous item in your home. Create designated clutter zones like a drawer or cabinet, which can be home to random knick knacks and junk. These designated clutter zones eventually reduce the overall clutter in your entire home.
Don’t declutter mindlessly —
Sometimes decluttering can be a waste of time if it isn’t done sensibly. Either you’re just moving stuff around instead of dealing with it or you’re decluttering without a plan. Decluttering means making a decision about an item, you either keep it or toss it.
How to declutter for your mental health —
Embrace cleaning itself as a way to de-stress rather than a chore. This will benefit your physical environment as well as your mental and emotional state.
Conclusion —
The chaos didn’t happen overnight, so you can’t expect it to go away as soon as you decide to start decluttering. Take baby steps and be consistent. Before you know it you’ll be well organised. Remember, once you have decluttered, do not fall into a reclutter trap. Become a need-based shopper and stick to the “one in-one out rule.”
“Ultimately, clutter is decisions that haven’t been made,” says psychotherapist and interior designer Helen Sanderson.
