When you have clutter in your life, whether that’s an overflowing closet, a desk full of paperwork, or an overcommitted calendar—the visual noise has an insidious way of taking up precious mental energy. Nobody wants to feel like they’ve got a never-ending ‘to do’ list or that life is total chaos so here are some simple ways to declutter your life and experience the ultimate peace of mind instead:
Start with a Question: How Do You Want to Feel?
It’s easy to think about the negative feelings that come with clutter in your life: overwhelm, exhaustion, and frustration (to name a few!). Start to think less about what you need to do, and more about how you want to feel when you step into your home, work, or show up at that scheduled meeting: relaxed, at ease, balanced, peaceful, and tranquil? Use that as your gauge and motivation as you start the decluttering process.
The Beautiful, Useful Test
Trying to figure out whether to keep or purge a particular item can be tough—”It doesn’t spark joy but it IS useful…”? Run it through the beautiful, useful test: only keep the items in your home or on your desk that are either 1) joyful to you and/or 2) useful—some will be both, others will be one or the other. Consider saying goodbye to the items that are neither, and only allow in future items that pass this test.
15 Minute Quick Spring Clean
Don’t let clutter build up. Not only is it chaos-inducing, but it’s also likely to make you feel deflated and discouraged despite all your past best efforts. Spend 15 minutes each day doing a quick maintenance spring clean—put things back where they belong, give surfaces a quick wipe down, and start to develop a new daily habit that takes the hard work and overwhelm out of decluttering and say goodbye to junk piles!
Everything Needs a Home
If you tend to notice things in your space that seem to have been randomly placed there (like clothes over a chair, keys strewn on the kitchen bench), it’s probably because those items don’t have a designated home (yet!). Figure out where it makes sense for them to live and be diligent in returning these previously displaced times to their new residence. Over time, this will become a habit. And this doesn’t just include your tangible possessions—take a look at your calendar every Sunday evening, decide what’s a priority and don’t be afraid to block off time for your personal projects and passions that fill you up and bring you peace.
Round-up & Re-home
Round up all the items that didn’t pass the ‘beautiful, useful’ test and categorize them into ‘donate,’ ‘resell,’ and ‘trash’—do your best to rehome as many items you no longer want or need to reduce the ‘trash’ pile but also accept that some items simply have reached the end of their lifespan.
The fact is: clutter can be like a magnet—clearing it out is one thing, but keeping it out is quite another! Be intentional with your decluttering and not only will you inject some freshness and joy back into your space and schedule, but you’ll also start to enjoy the ultimate peace of mind that comes with less ‘stuff’ and more white space—both literally and for your ultimate peace of mind.
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