Life is busy, and many people find themselves buried under mounds of both physical and psychological clutter. There’s never enough time in a day to get everything done, so we keep putting things off for another day, and then suddenly, we’re overwhelmed by the chaos.
If this sounds familiar, you’re probably more than ready to do something about it. Unfortunately, getting started is often a challenge, which is why we’ve put together the list below. With these helpful tips for decluttering and streamlining your life, you will gain the control and simplicity you desire for a happier, less stressful existence.
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Start Decluttering Now
It may seem like a monumental task, but you must get started now. Don’t look at the big picture because you’ll get overwhelmed and give up before you even get a chance to stand up. Instead, start slow. Donate a bag of clothes you no longer wear to the thrift store or give your BFF one of your best induction cookware sets – who needs so many pots and pans anyway?
Take it one room, one closet, one cabinet, one shelf at a time, and get rid of the things you no longer need or want. The sooner you get started, the sooner you’ll achieve the peace you seek.
- Stop with the “Shoulds”
“I should do this. I should do that.” It’s your mantra these days, but holding onto the “shoulds” only serves to clutter up your life. If you have a list of things you should do but haven’t done, put them on the calendar and work through them.
Also, forget about what other people think you should do. You’re your own person with a mind and desires of your own. Those are their shoulds, not yours, so do what makes you happy and stop worrying about what will make everyone else happy.
- Go Paperless and Automate
Paper accumulates quickly in most households. From junk mail and bills to magazines, newspapers, and more, this kind of clutter can get out of hand fast.
Fight paper clutter by going paperless as much as you can. Opt to receive and pay your bills online, and unsubscribe from the paper copies of magazines and newspapers – you can read almost everything online these days.
Finally, set up automatic bill payments through your bank or the debtors themselves. If you run a business from home, accounts payable automation can cut down your processing costs and save paper in the process. This will ensure all bills are paid on time, and you won’t have to worry about them as they are deducted automatically when they’re due.
- Do Away with Digital Clutter
As annoying as paper clutter, digital clutter can become the bane of your existence if not kept in check. Spam emails, photos, files, and memes from friends can all take up space and snowball into a disorganized mess.
To avoid this, regularly backup your data in the cloud and delete the files from your devices. Unsubscribe from emails you don’t read or that tempt you to buy things you don’t need.
- Get Organized and Maintain
Once you’ve gotten rid of all the clutter in your life, organize whatever is left. Utilize bins, baskets, and other storage solutions to ensure everything has a place. Finally, set up a daily or weekly cleaning and decluttering schedule to keep your home and your life clean, organized, and simple.
With fewer things to worry about physically and emotionally, you’ll find you’re less stressed and overwhelmed. You can sit back and enjoy your clutter-free, streamlined life.