I don’t know what it is about the winter months that make me feel so unmotivated to keep things around the house tidy. Because of this, I always find myself needing to do a major decluttering right before Spring every year.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a clean freak, so my cabinets and countertops are always sparkling, but when it comes to my closets, pantry, and garage, things do tend to pile up over time.
That’s why I use the beginning of Spring as a time to whip the house back into shape. In my home, a big part of that is my yearly decluttering.
In this article, I’ll provide you with my favorite decluttering tips that will save you potential time, money, and frustration, and a checklist for decluttering your home.
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Decluttering for me means getting rid of things around the house that don’t hold value in my life anymore. Sometimes that means donating old clothing that I don’t wear or clearing out canned goods in the pantry that I’m never going to use.
By doing this, I’m not only re-organizing my space and finding a new home for items that have piled up but also making sure the things I love are visible, and the things I use are accessible. That’s all about the meaning of decluttering!
The Benefits of Decluttering
A cluttered house equates to more stress and anxiety in my life. Your home is your safe place, and it is supposed to be a place where you can go to relax. If you allow this space to become cluttered, you essentially throw off the balance, which negatively impacts your sleep, your stress and anxiety levels, and even your mood day-to-day.
The good news is a good decluttering approach can zap these negative effects and get you back to feeling relaxed, balanced, happy, and in control of your stress and anxiety (for the most part!).
Even if you don’t realize that the state of your home is impacting you mentally, you can still benefit from decluttering your home. At the very least, cleaning out an area could produce some hidden treasures that you have forgotten about.
The first time I did my big declutter, I found a ton of spare change, an old necklace that I had lost and forgotten about, and even an old photo album that I hadn’t gone through in ages.
I don’t know about you, but when frequent spaces in my house are cluttered, it throws off the balance in my home. Now, most of the time, I don’t let the clutter get too ridiculous.
I’m excellent about cleaning as I go and making sure that there is a place for everything and everything is in its place, especially when it comes to areas where we have guests, like the living room and kitchen.
However, if you’re anything like me, you probably can agree that the “hidden” areas of your space like closets and pantries can get a little out of hand. For me, it’s that “out of sight, out of mind” philosophy that always makes Spring decluttering a necessity.
But the closet isn’t the only place that needs attention after a long winter; there are several other areas that could benefit from a declutter, as well.
Decluttering your Home: Where to Start?
When I’m decluttering, I like to always start with the easiest job first, but I haven’t always been that way. A few years ago, I decided that I wanted to learn how to declutter.
At the time, it seemed like I should begin with the most significant, most daunting task. I thought that knocking out the most challenging part first would help me stay motivated to do the rest of the job.
However, I realized that once the job was done, I was mentally and physically drained. That year, the only thing I got done was my massively neglected garage, leaving the rest of my house untouched until the next Spring.
The next year, I was bound and determined to get the entire house done. I wasn’t too particular about how long it took me, either. So, I started my decluttering around the end of January.
This way, I had several months to get the entire house done before Spring, which has always been my target time of year to have the project complete.
When I started with the simplest jobs, the sense of accomplishment I got from knocking out project after project in a short timeframe helped keep me motivated and excited to keep moving on to new tasks.
I always like to start my decluttering routine in the kitchen. Since we spend a lot of time in this area over the course of the year, the clutter is minimal, so it’s an easy task to knock out in a short amount of time.
I might have a few stray canned goods or a box of pasta that would be better donated, but other than that, there isn’t much other work to do in the kitchen. Once I have all the food I want to donate boxed up, I might rearrange some cupboards, but overall, the job is minimal and doesn’t take a lot of effort nor time.
The area that will be easiest for you might not be the same as mine. The best advice I can give you is to survey all the work that you want to do. Then, choose the least intimidating task to start with.
This will help make sure that you don’t run out of steam too early, making it possible for you to get a lot done without causing too much stress on yourself early on. Keep reading for some of my favorite decluttering tips and tricks to get the most out of your Spring declutter.
