3 Practical Tips for Decluttering Your Home and Simplifying Your Life

I find that a cleaned up, clutter-free environment helps me feel more relaxed, like there is nothing I need to do in that moment. I notice that if I am in a cluttered environment, I begin to feel overwhelmed and crowded. A lack of clutter can have a big influence on my mood, stress levels, and motivation to get things done. Over time, I have come to learn that the amount of belongings I possess is one of those "less is more" situations. There are a lot of cool things out there that I would love to own, but it does me more harm than good if it causes me stress or I can't find it due to having too much stuff. Below are some tips I use for decluttering my home.

Don't Treat Your Home Like a Storage Unit

I used to keep stuff that i thought would be great for that perfect occasion if it happened to come up or for those rare times when it would come in handy. However, I learned that I was often keeping a bunch of junk for several years and sometimes the items did end up with a purpose, but a lot of the time, maybe even most of the time, the "perfect occasion" still had not come up. I realized that I was storing a bunch of items in the hopes of potential use, but in the meantime, I was paying the price of being frustrated with moving it around the house or not having enough room for items I actually wanted or needed. Because of this, I've learned to determine if the item will serve a purpose within the next year. If not, then I usually get rid of it.

Forget About Sunk Costs

Something that used to really prevent me from getting rid of things was knowing that I (or someone else) had paid for me to have that item, but knowing I had not gotten the money's worth out of it. Due to this way of thinking, I would end up holding on to items for years that I had never used and never would use, in hopes that some day I would end up using it. Every time I would see these items, I would feel guilt for not using them and stress over how much room they were taking up. My husband, "C," was eventually able to help me see how ridiculous it was to hold on to these items. Now, if I haven't used something and have no intention of using it any time within the future, or don't use it often enough to justify the space it consumes, I give it away. Once I get rid of the item, I feel a sense of relief and don't end up being stressed out every time I see it.

Clear off all Flat Surfaces -- and Keep Them Clean

This is one I still struggle with but am trying to improve on. Since I can remember, I have always struggled to keep flat surfaces cleared off. I don't know what it is. I clear it off and it feels so nice. Then, I set something down because there is so much room and it won't hurt to set one thing down.... After one thing is set there, soon there are more and then it's cluttered with a bunch of junk again. However, I have found that just clearing the surfaces within a room makes it feel so much bigger and more clean. I am determined to keep working on this because I love how it feels when the flat surfaces are cleared.