7 Ways To Declutter Your Life

Declutter de Clutter

In yesterday’s post I wrote about 5 ways to improve your health. The third way I mentioned was all about getting organised, one of which actions included getting rid of clutter. I am not good at this and you only have to look at my study to see how much clutter I live with.

So I decided to look for more on this point, and lo and behold, found an article in the Sunday papers about decluttering. I believe if you have a cluttered environment, then other parts of your life will be cluttered too, such as in your relationship, at work and in your thoughts. So here are 7 ways to get rid of that clutter all around you.

1. First Steps : Start with baby steps – the same can be said for any big project – and if my place is any indication, this IS a big project. But by starting small, you will at least get going and build some momentum. So choose a room, set aside say 15 minutes, on a timer, and work as fast as you can, cleaning, sorting and tidying up as you go. You will be amazed at how much you an achieve in 15 minutes. Then, move to another room and again, set aside just 15 minutes to work on that space. After 45 minutes, take a break, maybe talk a walk outside in the fresh air, and come back and admire the impact you have made.

Did you say Paperwork?

2. Sort Your Paperwork : This can be a big part of your clutter. I know I have papers lying all over my apartment, so this will be a biggie for me. Tax papers need to be kept for up to 7 years, so make sure these are properly filed away. Other bills really only need to be kept for a year or so, so chuck these out when their time has passed. Credit card statements can be chucked as soon as you have checked them off – in fact more and more these are available online now, if you ever need to refer back to them. And to save on filing, choose paperless billing whenever it is offered.

3. Wardrobe Time : This is a fun, but difficult,  declutter job. I have clothes I have not worn in the last 5 years, or longer, so time to be disciplined with myself. Create four piles: one with clothes you want to keep (that you wear regularly, separating winter and summer clothes), one for anything that needs mending, a pile for clothing to be thrown away and one for clothes that are still good enough to give to charity.

4. Empty Your Wallet : This one I am good at. File receipts you may need to keep for your tax return, or maybe returning an item, or for a guarantee – and chuck the rest. Place your bank notes in order and facing the same way. Respecting money is the first step to financial freedom. And do this weekly, and don’t take receipts for small expenditures.

5. Bathroom Time : Clear out cosmetics and other bathroom stuff. Toss anything that has passed its use by date, or is broken, or leaking. And for the ladies, time to clean out your handbag, cosmetics and all, and make sure you only carry with you what you need.

6. Pay It Forward : Time to make room for new things by donating items you don’t need to charity. You could havea  garage sale, or sell them on eBay, but giving them away is good karma.

7. Do it all again : Now that your home is clutter free, keep it up. You will find all aspects of your life improve if you have removed the physical clutter from your environments. Take on board the one-in, one-out rule, so when you buy a new pair of shoes, for example, get rid of one pair that you don’t need. Spend 5 minutes each day sorting mail and paperwork, and every night, do a quick tidy up before going to bed.

If you have any other ways that you keep clutter out of your life, please leave a comment below.