7 Tips to Combat Your Clutter Problem

By Alicia Geigel on June 30, 2017

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It may no longer be spring, but that doesn’t mean you have to halt your cleaning until next year!

Regardless if you have not had the time, the resources, the energy or have been avoiding that scary closet of yours for six months, it is never too late to start reducing clutter. If you are overwhelmed with clutter or are simply looking to get more organized and create a more breathable living space, this article is for you!

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1. Begin with one area or one room: When it comes to cleaning and removing clutter, do not try to tackle everything at once — you’ll overwhelm yourself way too fast! Instead, focus on an area of space or one room in your home/apartment that you want to deal with. Narrowing down your choice of what to de-clutter will help you have a sharp mind and clear goal which will keep the process moving smoothly!

2. Set goals: To help organize your process, set goals for yourself! I suggest purchasing a dry erase board to help visualize what you wish to accomplish; as you progress, you can adjust and change your goals! Most importantly, go at your own pace, whether that means doing everything in one day, one week, one month, or one year! Remember, this process is about you and your journey, so take as long as you need.

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3. Stay motivated: As you start to clean and clear out your clutter, you may start to feel overwhelmed or aggravated with how much you have to get rid of. My advice to you is to keep going and ignore that discouraging voice in your head that tells you to stop accomplishing your goals.

Secondly, as you start to accumulate items to either throw away or donate, do that as soon as you can. You don’t want to go through all the work of cleaning out clutter only to have it sit in trash bags or boxes! Motivate yourself to get these items out of your house as it will give you more space to organize!

4. Create spots for loose items: We all have that one spot in our house that is occupied with mail, important papers, receipts, etc. that we avoid for obvious reasons. However, as you decide to organize, get yourself an accordion folder to clear out your tower of paper terror! You can label the slots in the folder with the respective name of the items you wish to put in it (i.e. “work,” “school,” “bills”).

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5. The six-month method: One method I utilize when I want to organize and reduce clutter is what I call, “The Six Month Method.” For example, go into your closet or drawers and evaluate what you have. If you have not seen it, worn it, or touched it in six months, truly ask yourself if it is worth keeping.

I can’t tell you how many times this has helped me when I was clearing out clothes and unnecessary clutter! Doing this helps you to not only get a grasp of the items you have but also to visualize how much you can physically get rid of!

6. Keep a greater cause in mind: As humans, we want to do our best to help each other and get help in return.

According to RealSimple.com, “getting rid of things will be easier if you can picture someone else benefiting from them (instead of how they just signify wasted money for you). Pick an organization to donate to, and learn as much as you can about it.”

The more you can imagine your progress benefiting a greater cause, the more you’ll feel better about what you’re doing!

7. Make a 30-day list: Even though lists are not for everyone, they can be super helpful with visualizing and holding yourself accountable for your goals!

To help with this, Zenhabits.net suggests the 30-day list which advises you to, “take a minute to create a 30-day list, and every time you want to buy something that’s not absolutely necessary (and no, that new Macbook Air isn’t absolutely necessary), put it on the list with the date it was added to the list. Make a rule never to buy anything (except necessities) unless they’ve been on the list for 30 days.”

The purpose of this list is to reduce the number of excessive items you bring into your home, thus reducing clutter!

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Don’t let your fear of tackling your clutter stop you from dealing with it; instead, use that anxiety or fear as motivation to help you! Cleaning can be exhausting, but the outcome will be so rewarding you’re going to want to pat yourself on the back once you’re done! Lastly, always remember, Rome was not built in a day so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to perfect your space overnight; instead, go with the flow of your own pace and of course, good luck!

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