It is far too easy to bring way too much “stuff” into our homes. We don’t even have to go to the store to add things to our home anymore. With the plethora of online shopping and deliver options out there today, we can have things sent to us. Consumers are constantly being bombarded with advertisements for products that we “need”, “should have”, “can’t live without”. Oh, how much “easier” our life would be if we own said product. It is so easy to fall victim to such advertising.
Clothes, Clothes, Everywhere, Clothes!
Before I completed a major decluttering of my space, I found myself moving piles of “stuff” around constantly. The spare room in my home was pretty much used entirely as a storage unit. All of my clothes were kept in this room. I would often find myself shifting clutter around just to get to the closet or dresser to find the certain pair of pants I wanted. Constantly shuffling clothes around that I wasn’t wearing to get to the clothes that I did wear became overwhelming. One morning while I was running behind, I knew something had to change.
I went online and did some research to look for suggestions on how to tackle my closet/dressing room. The tip that kept popping up was the idea of having a capsule wardrobe. Being someone that enjoys having a variety of clothes and the thought of having a capsule wardrobe was not something I was ready for, but I also knew I needed to do something.
Cutting Out the Extras
I decided to go through every piece of clothing I had and seriously consider whether or not I was actually wearing it. In the process, I went through a few times being more ruthless with each sweep through and pared down my clothing to the point where I could look in my closet and see all of my clothes for the first time without them being scrunched together. Finally, I could reach in and not having to play a game of tug-of-war just to get a shirt out of the closet. It was great! This also helped me discover not only the excess I had in my wardrobe, but it also highlighted items that were missing. Whenever I did go shopping, I then knew exactly where to focus my search instead of just grabbing anything and everything that appealed to me.
After going through my clothes and seeing what a difference it made, I was highly motivated to continue this process in all other areas of my home.
Tips to stop clutter from ruling your life
- Stop buying things you don’t need or love. This sounds like an obvious one but it can easily happen to anyone.
- Get rid of anything you have not used in the past year. It you haven’t used it in a year, chances are you’re never going to use it.
- Avoid the mall/store that you know will tempt you to impulse buy. If online shopping is a temptation for you, avoid your computer/cell phone/tablet as much as possible. Set time limits for yourself to complete the necessary tasks on your computer so you get your work done and then get off of the computer.
- Keep a few of your most sentimental items and take pictures of the rest to forever have that memory available without having to keep the actual item. I also enjoy using sentimental items as decor. That way I can see the items all the time and don’t waste money on home decor items that have no significant meaning for me.
- Create a filing system for your paper clutter. If you have a system in place for when you are bringing paper into your home as well as the papers that you need to keep, you are much less likely to end up with mountains of papers throughout your home.
- Find a home for everything and put everything in its home. Not having a specific home for everything is what leads to clutter.
- Remember that open space is a great thing! Not every space in your home needs to be filled with “stuff”. Far too often, we feel the need to fill every square inch of our drawers, cabinets, closets, etc. It is better for our mental health to have open space around us.
Mind Clutter Prevention
When talking about clutter, most conversations revolve around your home and all your belongings. In often missed area of clutter is the mind. When your brain is cluttered with all that life throws at us, you can really start to struggle remembering anything.
To keep your mind uncluttered with all the things you need to remember in the busy world that we live in, try keeping a planner if you don’t already. It can be a physical or digital one, whichever type works for you and that you will actually use. When I started using a planner, I found I could focus my concentration on the task at hand. My mind didn’t wander trying to remember everything that I had needed to do for the entire day, week, or month ahead. I am someone that needs a physical planner that I can flip through and see everything with a quick glance.
Sometimes others will try to call me out saying that a physical planner is creating more clutter. They also say that it is one more thing to remember to take with you throughout the day. I’m okay with that because I know myself. I know that I will not look at a digital planner so it would be of no use to me. Maybe someday I will be able to switch over to digital, but for now, I do what works for me.
Another method of clearing mind clutter I use is having a system in place near my door. This way I do not forget much needed items when leaving. When I get home, I immediately put my keys and purse in their basket near the door. Throughout the day, anytime I remember something that I will need later that day or the next goes into the basket or somewhere near the door. Below are some possible items to
- Keys
- Returns with receipts
- Water Bottle/Snacks
- Weather related items (umbrella, winter gear, sunglasses, etc)
- Outgoing Mail
Remember: A place for everything and everything in its place!
Brain Dump
Another tool I use to keep my mind as free from clutter as possible is to keep a small notebook. Better yet, have a small section for notes in your planner. The notebook stores thoughts that come up throughout the day. I have different sections for work, home, friends, events, etc. Whenever a thought pops into my head that I don’t want to forget, I just jot it down in the notebook. I can revisit it when I have the time to devote to it later.
Brain dumping is especially helpful at night when I just want to go to sleep. In the past, I would have gotten out of bed to write it down on whatever piece of paper I could scrounge up. Otherwise, I would address the thought immediately. Now, I keep a notepad in my nightstand to jot down my final thoughts for the day. This allows me to fall asleep much easier knowing that I can let go of all my thoughts.