How To Declutter In Five Easy Steps

Clutter. It seems impossible to avoid and overwhelming to deal with. In today’s “buy it now” culture, it's easier than ever to end up with more stuff than you know what to do with. While there are many strategies out there, going full Marie Kondo on everything you own can be incredibly time consuming and might not work for everyone.

It’s OK to start small

Choose one area of your home or life that you want to tidy up a bit. Set aside sometime when you’ll be in a good headspace for the job; you don’t want to be rushed and end up making rash decisions that you might regret later. Put on your favorite playlist or stream a show in the background, and allow yourself to enjoy the process. You might find out that it’s not as stressful as you thought!

This time of year, as seasons and wardrobes change, we recommend starting with your closet.

Here are five easy things to get rid of right now:

Anything that doesn’t fit, has holes, stains, or is visibly worn out. If clothes don’t fit now but you may need them later, put them in a storage bin with a few dryer sheets and tuck them away.
Branded promotional items that you got for free. Do you know that hat from the brewery opening or the tee shirt shot out of a cannon at a football game? Those can go.
Extra hangers, shopping bags, or bins.
Clothes that have served their purpose or simply don't reflect who you are anymore. Perhaps it was your favorite college party dress or a special gown bought for a wedding you attended. This is an opportunity to cash in sentimental value for monetary value. Your once-loved brand-name pieces can be consigned or sold online, leaving you with more closet space and some funds to fill it up again.
Single socks. You know you have them. Make them into puppets so you can kiss each other goodbye and trash them.

Once you tackle your closet, give yourself some time to see how you feel about it. You’ll likely appreciate the increased space and organization and find you don’t miss anything you got rid of. If you’re feeling so inspired, try applying similar tactics to other areas of your home and life. When was the last time you went through the apps on your phone and deleted the ones you don’t need? How about the back of your pantry? The possibilities are endless.

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