8 Ways You Can Stop Chronic Household Clutter *RIGHT NOW*

Maybe you've been there—when you stop and think: Our house is out. of. control.

There is so much to do, so much stuff, we just don't know where to begin.  Instead of the calm we want in our hearts so we can be the person we want to be for our family, that clutter affects our mood and how we feel about ourselves in a really negative way. This clutter, which is mostly things that we don’t even use, is weighing us down.

Your home is where you should go to relax.   You can walk into a clean, fresh, sunlit home.  You can walk into a home that welcomes you and invites you to feel joyful, renewed and calm.

We are going to get there.

8 tips to toss clutter:

1. Commit to toss, recycle or donate that which isn't used, wanted or needed.

2. Focus on one area at a time and get started with an area that is most bothersome, even if it's an area as small as a drawer.

3. Set a timer and work in concentrated bursts with a popular concentration hack which I’ve linked for you to get started!

4. Tackle decluttering as a family. Start with a room everyone uses and making each person responsible for a section. 

5. Sell unwanted items on Facebook Marketplace or eBay. This takes extra time, so check prices to make sure it's worth it.

6. Deal with unwanted gifts and family heirlooms. Despite the love with which they were given, or what they meant to our dead relatives, in the end, they are just things. Removing these items from our life if they aren't precious to us, and letting go of any object—however lovely or sentimental—is crucial if looking at it disturbing or depressing.

7. Donate clothes and shoes that have not been worn in the past year. It’s important to be honest with yourself about what you actually will wear and use.

8. Take stock of all our projects currently "in process," then be willing to let go, clean up and move on. 

It is very important to get unwanted stuff out of the way by dropping off donations, trash, and recyclables before we start to reorganize and our decision making becomes muddied with regret, or we spend valuable time and energy moving bags and boxes around while we continue on our quest.

If there seems to be a constant flow in to our home, sustaining a constant flow out is critical to maintaining any newfound order.

Don’t be too hard on yourself during this process, but do remember that you can’t just push your clutter under the rug.  You’ve got to get rid of that clutter and there is no time like the present!

Don’t be afraid to let go of things in your home… they are just things.   The people in your life matter more and when you get rid of the things in your home, you gain time.