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DECLUTTER YOUR LIFE!

Nin Rawlings, The Homemover Specialist

Chances are, there is just too much ‘stuff’ in your house. Just as a crowded, messy environment can affect mood and health, so too does living in a space that is stuffed with things that bring us no joy or serve a practical purpose. You may not even realise it is getting you down. However, with a little knowledge and motivation, you can learn to set the limits that can liberate you from the tyranny of having ‘too much stuff’ - and you’ll be decluttered in no time.

To begin with, it can be helpful to understand why we have so much clutter in our lives in the first place. No two situations are alike, which makes tackling the reasons why we hang on to so much stuff very complicated. In today’s consumer-focused society, we are constantly exposed to advertising messages telling us what we need to have to be healthy, happy and successful. The net result is that we end up buying a large number of things we don’t really need and then feel emotionally paralysed when it comes to deciding what to keep. We feel guilty for wasting money on these items so hold on to them in order to justify our purchase! Then there is the fear of regret. Might we

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throw something away only to wish we hadn’t later? However, holding onto things by rationalising that they may be useful one day, is a recipe for disaster.

We can also hold onto things based on hope. We hope to lose weight and fit into those jeans, we hope to find the time to read more books or cook that complicated Thai curry but, if that is leading to cluttered wardrobes, over-crowded bookshelves and jars of spices well past their use-by date, it can feel like an admission of failure and a nagging reminder of all the things we have failed to achieve.

And, of course, we also have items that hold sentimental value for us, and many people can feel a deep sense of loss when faced with the prospect of letting them go.

However, there are ways around dealing with some of these challenges and here are just a few hints and tips on how to go about decluttering your life. The first question to ask yourself is – is there a space that I could declutter quickly that would have a big impact?

‘Start with the sock drawer’ is a great motto to keep in mind. A small, straightforward task rather than ‘I’m going to attack the whole house’ will still yield big results. And it will show you how much you can clear in a short, focused period of time. Tick it off your list and it will motivate you to take on your next task.

The second question to ask yourself is – which spaces in my home seem to collect the most clutter the quickest and which cause me the most stress?

In many houses it can often be the hallway and hall table; a place which the family feels is solely designed to be a dumping zone, and the jumbled piles of stuff never find their way back to where they’re supposed to be. Another key space is the bedside table. Piles of books serve as a reminder of what you haven’t read. So, if a leaning literary tower of Pisa is threatening to crush you in your sleep, it’s time to act.

The third question to ask yourself is – Can I find a better or more worthy home for these items? It’s fine to be nostalgic, but when it comes to deciding what stays and what goes, it can really help to approach it with a sense of gratitude. Being grateful that you can pass things on to other people or charities who will get great pleasure from them, can alleviate the pain of moving on and clearing out and can be a positive and cathartic experience.

And the golden rule of decluttering?

Once you have decided what to get rid of, beware the common trap of piling up bags of stuff by the front door waiting to go to the local charity or public refuse centre. Put the bags in the back of your car immediately and drop them off as soon as you can.

The more you practice the art of decluttering, the better you will get at it and the more organised you will become.

Remember: decluttering is the ultimate form of self-care.

Here’s to a happy, clutter-free spring!