A new year is a perfect time to refresh your home. For many of us, this can mean organizing and decluttering. Our brains are naturally predisposed to favor order over chaos. Because of this, having clutter around our homes can release cortisol, the stress hormone, causing stress and anxiety. Clutter can feel overwhelming at times, but taking steps toward tidying, organizing, and getting rid of the things we don’t need can help alleviate a lot of daily stress. While I don’t claim to be a decluttering expert by any means, I have compiled a few tips for getting rid of some of those things around your house that have piled up in the past year.
Declutter One Area at a Time
Part of the overwhelm of decluttering comes from the feeling that it’s an endless battle. Try picking one area, like a closet or a specific room, and focus on that space. You can repeat this approach as your schedule allows, eventually tackling every area that you need to sort through.
Go on a Decluttering Binge
Grab a trash bag or a large box and go from room to room until you’ve filled it. If you’re still feeling the momentum after you’ve filled one bag, keep going! This can be a fast way to get rid of things across your home, which chips away at the clutter a bit at a time.
“Hush” the Room
This method, coined by The Nester, involves removing everything from a room and putting it back together how you want it to be. You only use items you already own, of course. The idea here is anything left over after you “hush” the room can be donated or sold. While this isn’t necessarily a fast way to declutter, it is one way that is effective in the long-term and well worth the work involved.
Use the 90/90 Rule
If you haven’t used something in the past 90 days and likely won’t use it in the next 90 days, consider letting go. This can be a helpful rule of thumb when going through clothing and other household items. You can adjust the timeframe to whatever works for you (60 days, six months, etc.), but having this guideline can help decide what to keep and what to pass along.
Just Get Started
The best advice is the simplest. Decluttering is one of those tasks that you just have to start to make any headway. Simply starting can sometimes be the hardest part, but any progress you make will get you one step closer to a calmer living environment. Staying focused on the outcome can be helpful, and if you get stuck, you can always consult the internet for tips and inspiration.
Here are some additional resources I find helpful when it comes to decluttering my home:
The 30 Greatest Decluttering Tips of All Time (Apartment Therapy)
How to Declutter your Home: 6 Best Room-by-Room Methods
What does clutter do to your brain and body?
How Clutter Can Affect Your Health
If one of the things on your list is decluttering your kid’s toys, be sure to check out 9 Tips for Helping Your Kids Clean Out Toys—With Less Stress!
