Are you wondering how to organize your life and how to declutter? Here are 6 different ways to declutter your life.
Decluttering is a huge component to simplifying your life. And I don’t know about you – but simplifying my life is a huge part of my mental health and self care.
The first four tips have to do with your *physical space* and the last two deal with clearing more space and decluttering aspects of your *life*.
Tip #1: How to Declutter: Give Something Away Everyday
The first tip I have for how to easily start decluttering is to give something away every day.
By the end of the year, you’ll donate 365 items—which seems challenging until you try it!
Recently, I started a 30 Days to Minimalism Challenge, and I was amazed that on the first day, I collected four bags of donations.
That’s huge. I literally had no idea I owned so many things I don’t use.
And that was just the beginning.
When I went through my kitchen, I gave away at least 100 items. Perfectly wonderful drinking glasses, tupperware, pots, wooden spoons, other utensils, plates.
I did all that through a minimalism challenge. But if you want to start becoming more intentional about what you own – start small by giving away one item everyday.
Tip #2: Fill Up A Trash Bag
In addition to that, twice a year, go through your closet, kitchen, junk drawers, garage and office and try to fill a trash bag with items you want to get rid of.
And yes, I hear you: eventually you won’t have that much to give away. But if you have kids, pets, and partners you won’t always be able to stay on top of what comes into the house on a day to day basis.
So, becoming intentional by clearing a bag twice a year is a great way to keep physical clutter from becoming overwhelming.
I’m guessing a lot of these things will be donations, but finding trash around the house is great too.
Some areas I recommend focusing on:
Pantry
Refrigerator
Closets
Laundry room
Junk drawers (we all have them!)
Linen closet
You don’t have to sift through all of those areas every time – focus on one or two areas to keep it extremely manageable.
Once you’ve worked on how to declutter and obtained more simplicity, it will become harder to find full bags of things to get rid of and you can move on to maintenance mode.
I hope I get to that point soon…
Tip #3: Make A List Of Areas You Want To Declutter
In the minimalism challenge I did, the organization was mostly structured around areas of my physical spaces and my life.
I began by listing what room were in my house, and what areas existed in those rooms. The biggest projects and the ones I felt most excited to tackle were:
Master bedroom
Master closet
Master bathroom
Kitchen
Living room
The guest room was pretty much already decluttered, and my husband’s office is a mess – but its his, so I’m leaving that alone for now. Haha.
The master suite and kitchen are where I spend most of my time, so it was extremely rewarding and motivating each time I worked through an area.
List the rooms and areas in your life that you want to declutter and decide on a rough schedule for going through them.
Prioritizing them in order will help you see quick wins and find motivation for the next project.
And remember to go easy on yourself and keep your expectations low. Do what you can, when you can, and give yourself a big pat on the back each time you take a step!
Tip #4: Store Paper Electronically
Another way you can practice how to declutter is storing your papers electronically is a great way to declutter.
When you get mail, try to go through it right away. Recycle the junk, and only hang on to the things you know you need to keep.
Scan everything else and store it in Google Drive (it’s free). Or, better yet, try to opt-in to electronic documents whenever possible.
I do this with my bank, water bill and phone bill and I 10/10 recommend.
Tip #5: Reduce Your Commitments
The last two items on my list have more to do with decluttering your LIFE rather than your physical space.
Usually my spaces only become cluttered if I’m too busy to practice self care. When I’m overwhelmed, I’m not able to make enough time for myself.
Try my minimalism calendar to keep yourself organized!
Tip #6: Reconsider Your Routines
Lastly, if your space and your mind are cluttered…reconsider your routines.
Building small routines is a great way to create time in your schedule for self care!
If clutter is something that bothers you that you are NOT making time for, create space for it as an act of self care.
Your mind and body will thank you for it.
Next steps?
I realize that the tips above are pretty brief—but choosing a couple of the items above is a great way to start decluttering your life.