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Decluttering Tips

We can all do with a bit of a freshen up of our space and decluttering your home is a great way to get started. We all have lots of things in our lives and sometimes they can overtake our space. Having a frequent purge of our household items can reduce the amount of things we have to clean and look after and give us space to enjoy the items we really love. Here are a few tips for getting started on declutterings and stop the prospect becoming to daunting.

1. Make Goals.

If you know what you want to achieve you have a better chance of sticking to the task. Making goals is a great motivator for all parts of life and this is no less true when it comes to cleaning and organising your home. Decide what your reasons are for decluttering. Do you want to get rid of items that are no use to you any more, you need to clear our for a house move or big event or you are having a clear out just for a fresh start. This are quite large targets that could be for your whole house but you can split it in to smaller ones if you want to focus on a particular area of the house. Maybe you want to get rid of half your wardrobe, clear up your craft supplies or reduce the amount of books you have. Choose a goal that you really want to complete and get it done.

2. Make Rules.

Once you have a goal set some boundaries so that you know exactly what you are going to get rid of when you get in to it. If you make rules beforehand then you will be less tempted to break them once you start sorting or clearing your stuff. Writing them down will definitely help and stop you straying. Think about rules that are specific to the objects you are wanting to sort. It could be about frequency of use; when was the last time I wore this, when did I last use this. It could be about whether it has a use; is it broken? was it expensive? can it be fixed? Choose reasonable rules that will help you clear out the items you need to and are not too restrictive.  The konmari technique asks for you to hold each item and ask ‘does this spark joy in me?’ if the answer is no, it goes out. An extreme rule but for some this could be the way to a decluttering bonanza.

3.Take Your Time

It takes you years to accumulate stuff so it would be unreasonable to think that you can remove everything in a flash. Don’t tackle your whole house in one weekend, break it down in to manageable chunks. Most people sort by room, but others have suggested by category. Take the time to do the job properly so that decluttering becomes a habit and part of your routine rather then a massive overhaul every Spring clean.

4. Take Breaks. 

As we have just explained,  you cannot possible clear out your whole house in a day, so take breaks frequently. You don’t want to burn out when your half way through clearing a space to be surrounded by items as if a junk shop has exploded in your home.  Take plenty of rests throughout your clear out, and if it is a real slog for you to do this, make sure you work in a reward for all your hard work.

5.Organise your space

Once you have decluttered, reorganise your space so that each items has a place. The maxim a place for everything and everything in it’s place, is a great saying for decluttering and organising but remember that each place for each item must make sense. If you are constantly having to put items back in to other rooms then maybe they should stay in the room you most frequently use them in. It also the same for storage items; if a box is hard to reach or hard to get to then you are less likely to put the item back in its right place.

6. Enjoy

Don’t forget to enjoy and appreciate all your hard work. Maybe following the Konmari technique is right and having a bit of a declutter should ‘spark joy’

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