Do you wish for a simpler life? The first step towards that dream is to get rid of the clutter. That’s why I’ve created a list of decluttering tips for a simpler life. It’s amazing how getting rid of stuff can change your mindset, home, and life. Whether you start with just one drawer or the entire garage, I promise decluttering will put you on the path to a simpler life.
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Rage Purge
Does anybody else rage purge? When I rage purge, nothing in the house is safe. I’m ruthless with my decisions. It usually hits the week after Christmas and then again during spring cleaning. We always keep a box by the backdoor for donations. Most recently, I decided that for every box that came into the house another had to go out. So while the Christmas shopping arrived from Amazon, I was filling up the boxes to go to the donation center. It was actually very effective and we got rid of a lot of stuff. Perhaps you can use these decluttering tips for a simpler life during your next rage purge.
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Decluttering Makes for a Simpler Life
Lowers stress levels
Studies have shown that a cluttered home increases the stress levels in women significantly. Life is stressful enough without clutter. Our homes need to be a place of peace and refuge. That is why hotels and Airbnb’s feel so good, there’s no clutter. Your home should feel that way too.
Makes cleaning easier
When the kitchen counter isn’t covered in mail, appliances, and keys then it actually doesn’t take long to clean up the kitchen. Spray, wipe, done. Imagine how much more enjoyable life could be without having to remove the clutter just to clean around it.
FREE 52 Week Decluttering Challenge
Appreciate not accumulate
Having less means that you come to value what you do have. If you’ve got six sweaters, you may only wear them once a month during the coldest four months of the year. But if you have two sweaters that you really love, then those will be worn once a week. Decluttering will teach you how to be content instead of constantly chasing the next best thing.
More time
Time is priceless, so why waste it reorganizing things you don’t use or need. If you can pick up all of the toys in less than 10 minutes instead of 20, then you’ve saved yourself 10 minutes per day or 60 hours per year. That is in addition to the time you’ll save shopping for, cleaning, organizing, and digging through the things that clutter your home.
Adds value
Decluttering adds value to the things that you already own. You’ll appreciate and use the items you keep more, but you will also be able to afford a higher quality of those items because you won’t be wasting money on new clutter. Holding onto something won’t save you any money. The money is already gone. Now you are just paying to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
Decluttering Tips for a Simpler Life
Use a time-will-tell bin.
When you are decluttering, have a time-will-tell bin. Make sure that you can’t see through the sides and that you’re ok donating the container itself. I like to use boxes for this. If you are unsure about whether to keep an item, place it in the time-will-tell bin. After the determined amount of time, the entire box goes to the donation center. I’ll write a date on the box to remind me when time is up.
We aren’t preparing for what if.
What if you have a formal dinner for 26 of your dearest friends? We aren’t preparing for that because it will likely never happen. So you probably are never going to need 26 place settings and crystal goblets. It’s more likely that you will be using paper plates and plastic cups if you’re having 26 people over for dinner. Can you even imagine the dishes? If you say, “But what if I need it someday?” then that’s your sign to put it in the donation box.
FREE 52 Week Decluttering Challenge
What fits today?
Only keep the clothing that fits your body right now. Let’s be real, if you do happen to lose 20 pounds, then you will want to go shopping for pretty new things. The same can be said about kitchen tools. The omelet maker was cool, but is it something that fits into how you are cooking today? If things don’t fit the life you are currently living, then it’s time to give them to somebody that is living that life.
Nobody needs 200 highlighters.
Duplicates are probably the easiest place to begin. This summer my aunt helped me go through my closet of shame. She asked me if I did a lot of highlighting, to which I told her I did not. We then dumped the 200 highlighters in trash, keeping only the few that actually got used. This concept holds especially true in the kitchen.
Are you really going to use that?
Are you really going to use that old spaghetti sauce jar or is it just going to take up space on the shelf? Unless you are going to do something with it in the next month, it’s time to just let it go. The same goes for anything broken. Are you actually going to repair the shirt or hem the pants? If not, be like Elsa and just let it go!
The site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As a Revive EO Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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