Stress-free decluttering, is that even a thing? Most of us know the feeling of relief and achievement after we've finished a big decluttering session. I think you'll agree that it feels amazing to have our spaces organised, clean and ready for a fresh start. Some of us are natural organisers and if you are one of those people, you probably won't learn much from this post. Others, like me, need a little more incentive to get started on our stress-free decluttering journey. Today, I'm sharing my top four tips for actionable stress-free decluttering which will help you purge your home without the overwhelm factor.
A clutter-free home is a healthy home.
Can decluttering help anxiety?
Even though clutter is a known cause of stress and anxiety, decluttering is not always stress-free either. So what's the solution to stress-free decluttering?
Here are my top tips for stress-free decluttering at any time of the year.
How do you declutter without feeling overwhelmed?
Stress-free decluttering Tip #1 - Start small
'Start small' may sound as if it will be of little help for achieving stress-free decluttering if you are facing a mammoth decluttering task. However, sometimes the 'mammoth task' is getting started in the first place.
A method that is often successful in convincing the mind to move on a task is to start with a small portion of the whole. For instance, you could start by collecting together all the materials you will need. This small action can put you in the right mindset to keep working on the rest. Getting started truly is half the battle.
Read the post below for some of the best ways to improve your motivation fast.
READ THE POST HOW TO ACHIEVE A CLUTTER-FREE HOME – AND MAKE IT A HABIT
Stress-free decluttering Tip #2 - Visualization techniques
In the above, we looked at some nifty techniques to improve motivation and create new habits to achieve a clutter-free home on autopilot.
In this next post, I'm sharing my favourite visualization technique which helps me clear the clutter in my home. You know that to keep things tidy, everything has to have its place. That's why, in this post, you'll also find some clever storage solutions which might give you a few ideas for that too.
Visualization techniques can play a tremendous part in motivating us.
In the post below, I share how my favourite process helps me clear the clutter in my home.
READ THE POST 'SENSATIONAL STORAGE SOLUTIONS TO CLEAR THE CUTTER'
Stress-free decluttering Tip #3 Ditch the guilt
What about the stuff that you can't let go of because it pulls at your heartstrings or gives you a guilt trip? That stuff can be hard to remove from your life even when you know you should. I get it.
Following on from mindset and visualization above, the next post tackles the sentimental aspect of decluttering. Have you ever struggled with letting go of inherited items which you neither like nor want? Maybe you have a problem letting go of sentimental items from your children who are now grown-up with children of their own?
After struggling with letting go of some sentimental items last year, I came up with some fantastic solutions which were a HUGE help to me. If you find yourself struggling with this yourself, you need to read this post.
Don't let guilt be the reason for stopping you having an uncluttered and peaceful home.
I had to accept this and find a solution myself. I'm convinced that these tips will help you too. Use one of my genius strategies for the hard stuff!
READ THE POST: HOW TO LET GO OF SENTIMENTAL ITEMS
Stress-free decluttering Tip #4 – Make a plan.
Especially in challenging times like the ones we are experiencing recently, our homes are more than just a place to live, they have become our universe. We, adults, have had to set up an office at home practically overnight. Our children need homeschooling, our homes become their classrooms or for college kids, their study hall. We need to create space for everyone's needs. That can be extremely hard going.
We all know the saying "tidy desk, tidy mind" and it's true. It's true because we all work more efficiently and faster when everything is neatly organised. When we are always able to find those important documents or worksheets, we will eliminate stress.
Decluttering seems to be simpler for some than for others but it doesn't have to be. If you like to work from a plan, as I do, then please let me help you with that.
Use the worksheets in my free 5-day email course to get you on the right track. Declutter Success has already been put to the test by yours truly and many of my readers. I know it works.
You can find out more about the free course in the post below.
READ THE POST – DECLUTTER SUCCESS
I hope these posts with all their stress-free decluttering tips inspire you to look at decluttering in a new light.
Here's the list of my top tips for stress-free decluttering once again:
- Start small
- Visualize the space
- Ditch the guilt
- Create a plan
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Kim | Shiplap and Shells says
Thank you for all the wonderful organizational tips Jayne! I need all the help I can get.
Jayne Westerholt says
You're welcome Kim, I hope they help!