3 Quick Tips To Declutter Your Home Without Getting Too Stressed
Are you looking for a straightforward approach to declutter your home and eliminate stress and the dreaded overwhelming feeling that comes with it?
Following these simple but easy decluttering processes can change the way you think about tidying up and keeping your space simple for good!
Here are 3 Quick tips to declutter without feeling too overwhelmed and feeling overly stressed!
How To Avoid Getting Overwhelmed When Decluttering
Keeping things simple is key when it comes to decluttering…
Don’t bite off more than you can chew and aim for small wins over large unrealistic goals!
Here are more tips to help prevent overwhelm when decluttering:
3 Quick Tips To Declutter Your Home Without Getting Too Stressed
1. Declutter By Category Or By Layers, Not By Room
Decluttering room-by-room can have its benefits and can work, but decluttering by category can be even more beneficial because you’re not constantly switching between items and can hone in on one type of home clutter…
Decluttering By Category
Here are some of the best benefits of decluttering by category:
- Easily find/identify duplicates
- Helps prevent you from hiding clutter in other rooms
- Experience less decision fatigue due to less category switching (Example: decluttering paper then clothes, etc. instead of only clothes first)
- Helps you evaluate the amount you have of an item
Try the method featured in Samurai Matcha’s channel where you divide the categories that you will declutter by days:
- Day 1: Declutter Clothes & Books
- Day 2: Papers & Small Items
- Day 3: Sentimental Items
Decluttering by layer
Here’s the decluttering layer order that can help minimize mental fatigue and help you make quicker decisions.
This decluttering layer order follows the principle that the higher you go, the more thought and care goes into your decision:
- 1. Easy Items First: Trash, broken items, items no longer needed, items that were never used
- 2. Happy Memories: (Minimal attachment) Birthday cards and items that bring good memories but can be let go without much thought
- 3. Ideal Self: Clothes that no longer fit, things we don’t need, things that no longer represent who you are now
- 4. Sentimental Items/Most Valuable Items: Photos, cards, gifts, valuables handed down, artwork, decor
2. Keep Things Small & Easy
We’ve hammered this point home, but keeping this small is so so so important when you’re looking to get started and keep your stress levels to a minimum
Nobody wants to be stuck for hours cleaning and decluttering, so keeping things short and strategic can lessen the time and effort you need to put in…
- First: Start with the items you want to keep first. This works with clothes especially and works to help you identify the most wanted/valuable items before you even start removing things.
- Next: Set a 5-minute Timer and start decluttering until the timer finishes. If you feel the need to continue decluttering after the timer is up, congrats you’ve tricked yourself into getting started and feeling like you want to keep moving due to the timer being so short.
- Finally: Stick to small areas and keep your efforts easy maybe decluttering a small part of your home or a few items first. This helps to build momentum and eventually your confidence!
3. Use Decluttering Rules To Simplify Your Process
If you’re looking for more structure when it comes to decluttering, experimenting with different rules can help you test out methods that fit your style and help you find an effective mindset to use as you approach your clutter.
Here are some of the best decluttering rules:
- The 90/90 Rule – The 90/90 rule states that if you haven’t used an item in 90 days and don’t plan to use it in the next 90 days, you should most likely declutter it.
- The 5-5-5 Rule – Popularized by The Secret Slob, The 5-5-5 Decluttering or cleaning rule is based on breaking down your task into shorter segments anchored by a timer.
- The 80/20 Rule – The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle, states that “80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes.”
- The 20/20 Rule – The 20/20 Rule, which originated from The Minimalists, is a guideline that suggests if you can replace an item in 20 minutes or less and for less than $20, then you should consider decluttering it.
- The 1% Rule – Popularized in the Bestselling book Atomic Habits by James Clear, the 1% rule teaches that normally we think big efforts lead to lasting results, when really, over time, small consistent efforts yield massive long-term payoffs.
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