How to Declutter Any Room

Make Life Easier DeClutter Series: Basic Decluttering Steps To Get You Started

Step Over The Paralysis

In the aim of making life easier for busy mums, I’m giving you my take on how to declutter. To start off this blog series, I want to give some general rules on how to declutter a room.  That way, you can take it in small steps, one room at a time, one space at a time.  

This takes away that paralysing feeling of overwhelm.  

Decluttering a house is something NO busy mum wants to take on.  Who’s got time for that?  However, by breaking it up into rooms, or spaces, the overwhelm can be managed, you can step over the toys/ washing/ paralysis holding you back, and focus on one space at a time. 

Why we have so much stuff

I’ve compiled a list of common reasons why we have clutter, and when you read the list, you’ll see why it becomes clutter, not belongings, functional items, or treasures.  It really is clutter, and it clutters your emotions, your mind, and your physical space.

See how many of these sound familiar:

• I’m keeping it just in case

• It was a gift, so I really shouldn’t throw it away
• I’m keeping these for when I lose my baby weight
• I’m keeping this because I might use it one day
• This has sentimental value, from my aunt twice removed
• I really wanted this years ago and saved really hard to buy it
• it’s only slightly broken but probably won’t work properly anymore

All of these things lying around often have emotions attached to them that aren’t actually relevant any more.  You are carrying the weight of the old emotions around with you,  and in your house, whilst some of these emotions aren’t even yours – they’ve been handed on with objects! 

When you take on a decluttering task, you can give yourself permission to reassess items for their functionality, their beauty or meaning to you.  You can free yourself of these old emotions, create more space and order around your possessions and clear your environment of busyness and clutter.

How to Declutter Any Room

Here is my 6 step process.  It applies to any room, nook, space, drawer etc.  There are also a few Guidelines to follow to help you maintain your space once it’s clear.

Step 1: Take everything out.

Step 2: Pile similar items together

Step 3: Review how you want to use the space (think function, layout, access & style)

Step 4: Sort out your stuff and

• Donate
• Throw Out
• Recycle
• Keep

Make these decisions based on functionality, beauty and meaning to you.  

Step 5: Organise the appropriate storage for all of your items.  

Step 6: Reset your space with your new storage based on Step 3.

Guidelines to Remember

1. Everything has to have a home – so that it can be put away.
2. Make your spaces easy to clean and easy to manage
3. Invest in appropriate storage.
4. Label your storage

Get Started

Don’t feel that you need to take on your whole house, just focus on one space at a time and allow yourself time.  It can take months or more!  Once you get started on your first space and start to clear it out, you will be surprised at how open you start to feel, just because you can feel the change – a shift.  Enjoy it and let it guide you.  It’s a part of the mindfulness you can experience when you become more aware of your space and the way you use it.

Feeling inspired?  Take action now.

Tell me which room/nook you want to start in and put it in the comments below.  Between all of us, we could get a whole house done!

Also, have you seen my short vlog on my Top 3 Organisational Tips?