Declutter your LIFE in 5 simple steps

Clutter is one of my least favourite things and I am going to share why you need to Declutter your LIFE. If there is clutter in my workspace or elsewhere in my home, I can't mentally focus. Sometimes it's a quick tidy-up which is technically organizing, not decluttering but it is true that clutter can impact your mental wellbeing.

Perhaps you haven't put much thought into it but take a moment to think about how clutter in your home may be preventing you from being productive and may be causing unnecessary steps.

Why do you need to declutter?

1. To get rid of stuff that is holding you back. Maybe its physically holding you back or maybe its stuff that brings up negative emotions
2. To actually create more space in your home so that you can physically move around
3. To live more intentionally and only keep things that truly bring you joy or you need
4. To get rid of mental clutter. Think about how much easier your morning could be if there weren't 10 bottles of shampoo falling over in your shower and you only had a few select products that you actually need

I am having trouble letting go of stuff, what do I do?

This isn't a one minute fix but here are some things to consider:

1. Usually, when people hold onto items there is a deeper emotional trigger. It could be a memory of something good, something bad, a past relationship, clothes that use to fit, and so on. This takes some seriously deep reflection. I know personally, one thing I struggle with is keeping things in case I need them such a dingy t-shirt if I need to paint...when deep down I know I don't need to keep it.
2. You are overwhelmed. Start with one room at a time or even one section of a room at a time. For example, if you look at your bedroom, perhaps just start with your side tables then move to your dresser then to your closet.
3. You haven't decided why you ware decluttering so there isn't a motivation

How do I maintain my progress:

1. If you didn't address the deep-rooted emotions or triggers associated with your decluttering you may just end up filling that space back up with more random stuff. So reflection is number 1
2. Tidy up daily or throughout the day. Get rid of random papers on your desk, clean up the kitchen, make your bed, fold your clothes, and so on
3. Do a weekly, monthly, and yearly declutter on your devices and your physical spaces

How to do it in 5 simple steps:

1. Pick a room to declutter
2. Ask yourself why you want to declutter or else you may not let go of as much or maintain progress
3. Pick one area of the room to start with. I will use the bedroom example again where you start with only the side tables then move onto the dresser then to your closet.
4. Follow the classic structure of creating piles of stuff to donate, throw out and keep. If you are struggling and have a few maybe items, then you can create a pile for that too but it shouldn't be too big.
5. Add everything back into its space in a clean and organized way that makes sense to you.