Decluttering: Where do I begin?! (5 Effective Tips to Help You Clean Your Space)

Does your house or room look a little like a hot mess? Disheveled clothes laying about, folded laundry not yet put away, trophies growing dust. These are just very small things in your space that can easily accumulate if not stowed, thrown, or folded properly. I personally have an incredibly hard time learning to throw things away. I always think "Oh, I might need this in the future", or "Oh, this holds sentimental value to me; I'm not throwing it away". I certainly have every right to keep my objects, but it becomes ridiculous when I'm physically and mentally blocked from doing a certain activity just because of the amount of clutter I have surrounding my space. I know I have a problem at that point that needs addressing.

Decluttering has never been my forte, but I have always associated the cleanliness of my room to the workings of my brain. The messier the room, the more chaotic it is inside my head. The cleaner the room, the more at peace I find myself to be.

I recently attended a webinar all about decluttering, and I hope to share with you some tips and tricks I learned and have applied:

1. Make a plan Before you get started, it's best to think about where exactly you want to begin. Start with your top 10 decluttering spots. Make sure to work through each room at a time, and you can also decide where to start. I always like to tackle the heaviest and dirtiest place right away so that way, I'd have less to do moving along. Find the pockets of time in your day to make decluttering a habit.

2. Address the roadblocks I mentioned this earlier but there are a couple of main roadblocks that prevent you from moving along. The gift guilt. I definitely do not enjoy throwing out anything that was given to me as a gift, meaning, I stash them away and though I certainly appreciate it, I don't look at them again. Don't be afraid to throw these things away, though given, it doesn't mean that you don't appreciate the gift, but if you hoard too much of them, it'll definitely hinder you. Another roadblock is the "But...But..." If it's not a hard YES, it's a hard NO! Don't hold on to things that you know you won't use, or see in awhile! I promise, most of the time, you will not miss these items.

3. The process Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I need it?

• Do I use it?

• Do I love it?

If the answer to all three is no.... TOSS IT! It's as simple as that! This is probably the hardest thing for me to do because I would argue that I love these things, but I really, really, really, don't need it or use it.

4. Decluttering hotspots Your decluttering hotspots will be your main targets. Remember, it's okay to take it slow. It's also okay to set goals for yourself if that's how you'd want to go about it! I personally like to have a small list of things I'd like to accomplish and it definitely keeps me going. And in the event of feeling like giving up, just remember why you started this and why you're doing this. If you want to take it a step further, we also have a post dedicated to help you keep up with your goals.

5. Take your time, but don't be lazy If you want to fully commit to cleaning up your space ,take it slow! That is okay. There is no rush. Just make sure it can become a daily habit! Smaller actions that build up over a period of time are easier than bursts of energy or motivation. Although, that's how I mainly function haha. If you find that being lazy is one of your bad habits, check out our last post for tips on how you can change your bad habits.

At the end of the day, just know that you're not alone and the task of cleaning up and decluttering is something anyone is able to do with just a little bit of time and effort. You will be greatly rewarded for your efforts, and it will definitely make you feel good about yourself.

I hope you all share your experiences with us! Have a great weekend!

xx