Decluttering changed my life

With the days getting shorter and temperatures dropping, more time will be spent in our own personal spaces. After the endless possibilities of spring and summer, fall and winter can feel stifling: no where to go, no end in sight. This year, to battle the trials and tribulations of the seasonal sentence of home confinement, I decided to do a major overhaul on my space.

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At its most basic level, my motivation to declutter was based on a desire to have a clean house that stayed clean without a lot of effort. With 3 kids, 2 dogs and an active shopping addiction, my home was overflowing with stuff. The cleaning was getting done, but I was moving the stuff around, not getting rid of it. Nothing appeared to have a place in my home and nothing was ever easy to find and because of that, it was always a mess. If I fixed that, my theory was that the house would be easier to clean. And I was right. My house was easier to clean and to KEEP clean. I could find the things I needed easily because they were where they belonged.

Declutter with Ease

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Start by decluttering one room at a time. Probably from your bedroom to the living room. Below is a list of things you can use and do.

• Make use of the 3 box rule - keep, toss, store. Keep items that you use often. Toss worn out or already expired items. Store those items not in use or for seasonal necessities only.

• Clear surfaces or at least leave a maximum of 3 items per table or display shelves.

• Utilize unused spaces. Store items under your bed or not frequently opened cabinets.

• Keep similar things together. This will compel you to organize them accordingly. You can also make use of boxes or baskets. There are lots of variety to choose from sizes to designs.

AND Declutter as often as possible. Keep things at minimal. Simplicity is always the best.