Decluttering is the new buzzword. The concept is not new, but it gained popularity courtesy of Marie Kondo. Her book on The Magical Art of Tidying did much to promote the concept of living an uncluttered life; a goal she had since the age of nine. Years ago I read this book, finding it a perfect doorway into decluttering and eventually into minimalism.
I was timid with my first attempts at tidying and decluttering. After several trips to a local opportunity shop (some know them as Thrift Stores) to share my over-abundance of clothes, books and CD’s, I understood that decluttering is more than just a physical exercise of clearing space.
Decluttering is a powerful metaphor for removing distractions from the living and working areas, creating a focus of intentional living and harmony and, by default, creating space for authentic living.
I have a busy mind so creating the physical space for a peaceful inner place has been a fascinating journey. I hope you find practical tips for decluttering in here that inspire your decluttering journey.
Benefits of Decluttering:
Looking around your home or work area right now, is your area clutter free? Do you feel peaceful? What difference does it make to your mindset when living and working in clutter free spaces? Clarity. Peacefulness. Focus. Relief.
When your eyes constantly ‘bump into’ visual clutter, it distracts your focus and literally clutters your vision. How is it possible to make good decisions, or focus on the task at hand when your mind is interrupted by visual litter that reminds you of what is unfinished in your environment? That mountain of unfinished tasks eventually creates an inner discontent. The human mind rests easier when it can literally ‘see’ the difference in an environment.
I think it is impossible to reach a well-thought route for any goals or intentions when there are persistent reminders in your physical environment of unfinished tasks. For example: junk mail not binned, bathroom vanities full of bric-a-brac, dishes unwashed, household or work items not returned to their proper place, to name but a few. Regardless of whether you have developed the habit of tidying, the clutter will obstruct your visual and mental space.
Simply put; a clear space creates a clear mind, which in turn reduces stress and facilitates clear decision making. Who does not want to maximise their capacity for clear thinking or provide the inner and outer space for creative ideas to flow?
Misconceptions Around Decluttering:
Before we get to the challenges of decluttering let’s tackle three of the most common misconceptions:
- Decluttering means living like I took a vow of poverty
- Decluttering is a one-time activity
- Decluttering is only about clearing physical possessions from my spaces.
Firstly, decluttering does not mean living in an austere environment. This is not about doing without the necessities of life. Think of it as a choice to create a calm and peaceful space that is enjoyable to be in because it is organised and full of items you actually want and love.
Secondly, decluttering is an ongoing activity. Simple, daily steps will keep your home or office space consistently organised and this in turn will create a joyous space to work or relax in.
Lastly, a reminder that our lives are usually cluttered by more than the items we see around our home or office. The twenty-first century rides on the internet with both our professional and personal lives inextricably linked with digital environments.
Knowing this and choosing conscious decluttering will eventually yield a more relaxed pace and approach to life. To this end I recently discovered digital decluttering and it is now something I do regularly.
Challenges around Decluttering:
There are always challenges to motivation when we introduce change into our lives.
Time: Decluttering, especially in the initial phases, takes time and motivation. Overwhelm is a certainty if you want to declutter your home in one day or one week. Try these quick tips.
- Schedule a time of the week when you take a shopping bag or a container and pick a number between one and fifteen.
- Move through your home or chosen room and put one – fifteen items in the shopping bag.
- Immediately take it to an ‘op shop’ or a dumpster or place it in your household garbage bin.
- Start with ONE shelf, drawer, or room.
- Set a timer. Allocating a specific time for decluttering can reduce the overwhelm.
Small victories will feed your motivation and you will eventually create the time to do more.
Emotional attachment: Some items have strong sentimental value. Remembering the following tips will help.
- Decluttering is about creating a space you love to inhabit or work in so keeping precious items will add to the value and aesthetics of the space.
- Keeping those treasured items is easier if you organise them so they complement the space they inhabit rather than clutter it.
Decision making; Decluttering can test your decision-making muscles. Create four areas or ‘piles’ as you move through your environment.
- keep
- donate
- sell
- rubbish
The best questions to ask as you hold each item are:
- Do I use it?
- Do I need it?
- Do I love it?
The mother of decluttering, Marie Kondo, says only keep those items that ‘spark joy’ when you touch or hold them.
Digital Decluttering:
Digital decluttering is something I have only recently learned of and adhere to on a weekly schedule. Here are my tips:
Emails (frequently a source of overwhelm)
- Unsubscribe from newsletters
- Create folders
- Delete irrelevant emails & archive older ones
- Bonus points – use filters to get your email provider to automatically sort, delete or file emails as they arrive.
Mobile Phone Text Messages
- Delete old messages (I recently found a text conversation with a removalist company I used eighteen months ago!)
- Use a STAR symbol to denote important people or conversations – sometimes I use the ‘pin’ action for conversations requiring my urgent attention.
- Consider disabling notifications
- Bonus Points – Categorise your contacts (I currently use four categories: family, friends, housesitting and work. Makes it easy to find them in my phone!)
Computer
- Use cloud storage
- Organise digital files
- Delete old or irrelevant documents and downloads
- Bonus points – backup your photos onto an external drive.
Social Media
- Clean up your profile: remove older content that no longer represents you or your interests.
- Unfollow inactive connections
- Bonus points – mute notifications from social media on your mobile phone.
Maintaining a Decluttered Space:
After you have decluttered your home and office and enjoyed a beautifully organised and clear space, you may notice a few items creeping into the area that you know are not meant to be part of that room. As I mentioned before, decluttering is not a one-time exercise. Constant effort is necessary to experience the benefits of a well organised and aesthetically pleasing space. This is naturally easier with less ‘stuff’. With practice, you will require less effort to achieve a clean and clear space and the results will be substantially more appealing than the effort expended.
At work or home
Two simple tasks that will instantly improve your space (home or office)
- Return all items to their proper places
- Clear the benches / workspaces after each task is completed
At home
Five simple tasks for decluttering your space:
- Make the bed
- Wash dirty dishes immediately
- Empty the inside bins
- Put dirty clothes in the hamper / laundry etc
- Put clean clothes away
I hope this article inspires your decluttering to begin in earnest. Keeping in mind that it is not a one-off effort, remember to start small, and frequently ask yourself why you chose to declutter in the first place.
Maintaining a decluttered space is easier if you implement a routine.
Remember too, that decluttering is not just physical. Your digital devices require your loving attention towards creating a clear and relaxed zone for living and working.
Your challenge for today, should you choose to accept it, is to pick either a physical shelf / drawer or a digital device and set your timer for fifteen minutes.
Then move with purpose and declutter as much as possible in the space of fifteen minutes. When your timer goes off, step back and notice how much difference you have made.
Was it easy?
Did you get bogged down in decision making?
Are you ready to do a longer stint or tackle a room instead of a drawer or shelf?
Please drop me a line on how you went with this challenge. Most of all, remember that choosing a decluttered home or office space is a lifestyle choice, not a one-time activity. The emotional and psychological benefits of decluttering are yours for the experience.
For some, it may become more than a lifestyle, it may well become your new addiction!
Originally published on ko-fi https://ko-fi.com/in_between
Christine Writer 