Clear the decks and feel better

Feeling stressed about the amount of ‘stuff’ you have to deal with? A garage that’s so full, there’s no room for the car? Boxes of kid’s toys never used? Too many clothes, but nothing to wear?

You’re not alone. Clutter can elevate levels of stress hormones. 

Don't wait for Spring for a spring clean: start decluttering your home today. You’ll feel much better for it. 

Here are our 7 top tips for a (relatively) pain-free declutter:

1. Start small

It can be tempting to look at your home and wonder ‘where do I start?’ Then put it off for another day. 

Just start small. Pick a cupboard, a room - your garage. Take ten minutes to organise that. You’ll feel better, and you’ll have made a start. Do it every weekend, and you’ll soon make a dent. 

2. Organise first, buy second

Here’s a great tip from Apartment Therapy: don't go out and buy all those storage boxes, first. 

Start by cleaning out your place, working out the storage spaces and what you really need. Make a plan first, then get the storage containers. 

3. Reduce the dust magnets

Got shelves full of little trinkets and mementos? Things you're trying to keep out of the reach of the kids? 

Go through them, and be brutal. Do you really need that unwanted Christmas present, fancy glassware or mug of pens? Clear the shelves and store them somewhere out of sight.

4. Reduce your library

Too many books, CDs and DVDs just make the place look over-stuffed and untidy. 

Weed out the books you’ve never got round to reading. Transfer CDs and DVDs to your computer or mobile device. If you want to keep the album and movie sleeves, take a photo or store them in a folder, alphabetically.

5. Review your closet

How many clothes have you got that you rarely, if ever, wear?

Here’s a tip made famous by Oprah Winfrey. Make sure all your clothes are hanging, facing the same way. Then, after you wear them, put them back facing the other way. You’ll soon see the clothes you wear regularly (they’ll be facing the other way) versus the ones you don’t. 

You’ll be surprised how many clothes are never taken out or worn. 

6. The four-box method

When you’re ready to tackle a room or space, have four boxes. One for trash. One for giving away. One for keeping, and one for relocating. 

Make sure every item in the space goes into one of the four boxes. 

7. It’ll never be perfect

Your home will probably never look like a catalogue or show home. 

Do what you can, and then leave it. Live with the changes for a while - make sure it’s going to work for your everyday living. 

It doesn’t have to be perfect, just practical.

What about you? Got any declutter tips? 

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