We accumulate possessions and items over time regardless of their level of importance or actual significance. This innate desire to keep these possessions causes clutter. If we get rid of possessions and objects we can make our homes instantly bigger. So what is clutter?
There are two main types:
1. Day to day clutter is items that we may use regularly but don’t necessarily have a place, so they tend to lay around on surfaces creating a mess.
2. Long-term clutter include items like outgrown or unworn clothing, obsolete papers, broken or old toys and disliked, but well-meaning gifts that take up valuable storage space like filling up a garage leaving no space for the family car.
If you accept that you have too many objects, follow these guidelines to live clutterfree:
• Don’t be overwhelmed by the clutter. Take a big breath, relax and deal with it room by room.
• Focus on one key area until that is done. The end result will trigger the feel good endorphins to keep you going.
• Be strong and divide your clutter into three groups:
a) Items to be thrown out. If you haven’t used it recently chances are you won’t need it in the future either, so it needs to go.
b) Items that can be given to charity or hold a garage sale to make some money out of your unwanted possessions.
c) Items to be returned into a freshly cleaned and organised area.
• Do you have enough shelving or space to keep your possessions neat and tidy? If not, you might need to buy extra shelving to make sure all your hard work is not for nothing.
• Give yourself adequate time to make sure you can finish them over a day or a weekend.
Once you get started you will be so proud of your achievements and how you can live within your new clutter-free home that all the effort that you have put in will be worth it.
By Karen Creith