Tips and Why You Should Declutter your Home

Ahh the New year, so bright and shiny..Except for most of our houses that have wreaked chaos in the past few months getting ready for these final days of the year. Especially if you have children. This time of year really speaks havoc in your house with new toys, clothes, and items they might have gotten. If you’re struggling to get your house back in order then Sister this post is for you! Learn tips and why you should declutter your home today!

The new year is a great time  to declutter your house. As the saying goes “Out with the old, In with the new!” I’m going to walk you through tips on how and why you should declutter your house. If you have never done a purging (as I call it) that’s okay! Follow my tips to help you begin today. 

P.S if you stay until the end you can download a free printable to help you stay on track to decluttering your home today! 

(No links mentioned in the post are for affiliate marketing.)

Why Should You Declutter Your House

It makes you happier! According to this article from Utah state university; decluttering can improve your mood and physical health. When you’re focused on decluttering it keeps your mind from veering off. So as you stay focused on clearing the clutter you aren’t letting intrusive thoughts in. Also you’re moving your body more! We all know more physical activity will always benefit us!

It’s a stress relief! How many times have you been late to work? Or angry and frustrated because you couldn’t find something, or because there was stuff everywhere? This is down right stressful. So when you clear all that stuff away you can have organization. 

Related Blog posts on managing stress.

• Creative Ways to Manage Stress  if you want more tips on creating a peaceful life! 
• 7 Simple Ways to Reduce Daily Stress from Truth & Beauty Co.

You can sleep better! I don’t know about you, but sleep these days can be really difficult! (I also have a newborn lol) but if all it takes is to go through some unwanted or unused items; I’m in! This study from Mather Hospital discussed how decluttering can actually improve your sleep. 

 Your concentration and focus will improve! When you have a clear, clean place to focus, your concentration and focus will improve. I’ll tell you, if my kitchen is messy I won’t be able to sit down and focus on my blog. I have to (like have to) get it clean before I do anything else.

It can help you live a Slower life! What do I mean by this? You won’t be spending your time running around trying to find things. There will be a sense of peace in your house because you have simplified it. This will help you relax and unwind from the environment outside your house. Think of your home as a sanctuary. If you want to learn more about slow living check out my post here and how to start today.  

I’ve mentioned some pretty good points on why you should start decluttering your house! So if you’re still reading but are wondering or overwhelmed with where to start let’s jump into tips on how you can declutter your house. 

Tips on How You Should Declutter Your House

Start small. There’s no race. So if you are overwhelmed right from the beginning thinking about this; no worries! No one but you dictates the pace and space. So start with a drawer or a small area like a bathroom. Try the surface of your desk. Maybe you do one small area a day, or focus on one room a week. Then you could break it down into smaller chores. Whatever the case, don’t feel like you need to haul trash bag after trash bag out of your house in one day. 

What to get rid of? 

This can be really challenging! I know I have kept items just because of the memories it holds. A good rule of thumb to think about is how long has it been since you’ve used or worn it? Consider this list when clearing things out of your house;

• If it’s been over a year of use or wear, then get rid of it. 
• It has an inch of dust on it, get rid of it. 
• If it’s broken and you still haven’t fixed it after you said you would, get rid of if. 
• If it’s past expiration, throw it out, even if it’s not opened.
• Important papers over 5 years old; shred them or scan them into your computer on a backup drive to reduce paper clutter. 

Mindset on Decluttering

It is not easy to get rid of things in your house. But having a good mindset will benefit you during this process! I used to get angry at myself for letting my house get overwhelming. Life happens! It doesn’t do any good to be angry. 

Stay Positive! Think about how you will create organization in your house. You will have things back in their spot. Think about how refreshed you and your house will feel after!

You are helping others! You can donate clothes you don’t wear anymore or items that you don’t use. I give most of my still wearable clothes to the clothing drop boxes at churches or donate to the salvation armies near me! I always feel better knowing I am helping a person in need when I do this! 

You will feel a sense of relief. When you walk into your decluttered area you should feel so much better. The ease of knowing where everything is and not having to rifle through things is such an amazing feeling! 

Go slow! I know sometimes I get really overwhelmed especially if I’m going through my mail and bills. If you feel this way, set a timer for about 10-15 minutes and focus on that area until your timer ends. Keep doing this repeatedly until you feel less overwhelmed or until the area has been picked up. I have done this specifically going through my mail; it has been very helpful!

Stay on track. Don’t skip with my Decluttering Checklist! Click the button below to get yours today! Having a list or checklist to make sure you’re not skipping any places in your house is a great way to ensure you haven’t missed any spots. I know I definitely have! 

Sister, I hope you have found the motivation you need to empower you in decluttering your house! If you want to hear from me more, sign up to receive emails from yours truly. If you really enjoyed this post think about liking, and sharing, because this community could always use more recipients. Have a blessed day!