Every year it seems like I tend to accumulate more and more possessions. I don’t even know how! Well, actually, I kind of do…everything my mom, grandma, boyfriend wants to throw aways, I’m always like “I can use that for….” literally anything. And now it’s gotten to the point where I need to start decluttering to simplify my life.
And I know I’m not alone in this (thank goodness! sometimes it’s nice to be seen). By simplifying your life and making room for the things that truly matter, you end up reducing your stress, increasing your productivity, and lifting that anxiety-weight of “stuff” off your shoulders.
Decluttering, learning to shop consciously, and embracing minimalism is definitely a journey, not a destination. It’s not about getting rid of everything we own, living in an empty house, or having that beautiful and curated zero-waste aesthetic (you know the pretty jars I’m talking about). It’s more about simplifying our lives and creating space for the things we want to focus on.
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Embracing a Minimalist Mindset
One of the first steps to simplifying and decluttering your life, is to embrace a minimalist mindset. To some extent, I think we do this subconsciously as we prepare to declutter our homes, but minimalism is about intentionally focusing on what’s important and letting go of the excess.
Understanding Minimalism and Decluttering
Minimalism is not about living with nothing. I’ve purposefully not discussed minimalism too much on the blog because I didn’t want to focus on a fad-word that was literally about having nothing. We have lives to live, and some “extra” things in our lives are absolutely necessary to live the lives we’ve built.
But really, minimalism is about living with intentionality and simplicity. It involves being mindful of what you choose to bring into your life and what you let go of. Minimalism is about breaking free from consumer culture and overconsumption and finding fulfillment in living life with more experiences rather than possessions.
By adopting a minimalist mindset, you can reduce mental clutter (we all need a little bit more of that) and create space for the things that you want in your life. You’ll be able to prioritize your time and energy on your family, friends, or even hobbies you’ve always wanted start that bring you joy and fulfillment. It will be your life again because you only have and purchase things that truly are needed to live your life the way you want.
The Psychological Benefits when you Live with Less
Research from the Journal of Positive Psychology has shown that living with less can have a positive impact on your mental health; researchers basically proved “money can’t buy happiness.” When you declutter and simplify your surroundings, you can drastically reduce your stress and anxiety levels and give your brain more power to focus on the more important things. You’ll also have more mental clarity and focus, allowing for more productivity and creativity in your life.
Living with less can also help you cultivate a sense of gratitude and contentment. When you’re not constantly chasing after the next purchase, you’ll be able to appreciate what you already have and find fulfillment in the present moment.
By embracing a minimalist mindset, you’ll be able to create habits that support a simpler and more intentional life. You’ll be able to let go of the excess and live a more simplified and streamlined life.
Practical Decluttering Strategies
If you’re anything like me and feeling overwhelmed by the clutter in your home, here are some practical decluttering strategies to help you get started on letting go and embracing minimalism.
Creating a Declutter Plan to Reduce Waste
Before diving into decluttering, it’s essential to create a plan. I honestly hate starting with a plan…taking time and planning goes against the very nature of my brain, but having a plan of attack and identifying your support people is key to decluttering for good.
Start by deciding when you can schedule decluttering sessions into your calendar, based on your priorities and availability. Then you’ll need to figure out what and how you’re decluttering, as well as where you are taking the possessions you are letting go of.
You could consider either the KonMari method, which involves decluttering by category rather than room by room or have a room specific approach. Decluttering by category can help you focus on specific material possessions and make it easier to let go of unnecessary items. But I find going room-by-room leads to less chaos if I get called away in the middle of a decluttering session. Find what works for you and just roll with it.
Once you’ve got your method figured out, you’ll need to know where you can sell, donate, or recycle any of the items you are decluttering. I don’t do a lot of selling, but there are always places like Facebook marketplace and eBay where you can easily list your items. For donation and recycling, you’ll need to know drop off hours and if there are any stipulations to what each facility accepts. Our local goodwill doesn’t accept any books, so we had to call the local library to get rid of several boxes that had accumulated between the Boyfriend and myself.
Start Decluttering by Defining Focus Areas
Whether your decluttering strategy is to tackle your household room by room or category by category, you’ve made a plan and now you are ready to execute. I’m all about putting on some hype music and taking just the briefest second to imagine what everything is going to look like when I am finished decluttering and organizing. Selling yourself on your finished space will keep your motivation and productivity levels high, especially if you are tackling a big project.
You can start with the easiest room or category to get a feel for your system and then work your way up to the more challenging ones. OR you can start with the most cluttered room or category in your home to get it out of the way and build momentum. Whichever approach you choose, remember to sort your items into categories such as “keep,” “donate,” “sell,” or “discard.”
For items that you aren’t sure you want to keep or get rid of, having a small “maybe” box can be a good place for items you are indecisive about, otherwise you’ll get stuck in the decision-loop and stall your forward progress. Our general rule of thumb is if it’s been in the “maybe” box for six months without being touched or missed in our lives, we get rid of it (whether that’s donation, selling, or sending to the landfill unfortunately). That keeps me and my brain from being paralyzed by too many decisions in the moment.
Letting Go of Unnecessary Items
One of the most challenging aspects of decluttering is letting go of unnecessary items. To make this process easier, ask yourself if the item brings you joy or serves a practical purpose. I know it’s become trendy to ask if items “spark joy” in your life, but the concept behind it is very sound. If the shirt doesn’t make you feel good, or the extra dining room table in your basement doesn’t immediately give you a smile with everything it has and will be used for….then it might be time to consider donating or selling the item. You can also take a photo of sentimental items (especially paper-based ones) before letting them go to help preserve the memories.
Recycling is also an important aspect of maintaining a clutter-free lifestyle. Make sure to recycle any items that are recyclable and dispose of waste properly. This can help you reduce clutter and contribute to a more sustainable environment. You can also sustainably declutter by upcycling or repurposing your items, but I will caution you to make sure you have the time for that project RIGHT NOW….or you will just end up with a pile of partially completed projects.
By following these practical decluttering strategies, you can start to reduce physical clutter in your home and see how simplifying just a little bit can make a big difference. Remember to take it one step at a time and be patient with yourself throughout the process; trying to do too much at once will result in decision fatigue and possible frustration….both of which can stall your progress.
Organizing Your Living Space
You are adding value to your life simply by decluttering your home and adopting some minimalist habits. The benefits of minimalism are numerous and, in turn, lead to a more fulfilling life. To begin your minimalist journey, start by organizing one small area of your home, such as a drawer or linen closet. I find it easiest to start with an area that already has some designation organization, like a dresser drawer that only hold clothes or a closet that only holds linens. It’s the “catch-all” places that are hardest to organize.
To declutter your home and adopt a minimalist lifestyle, you have to pair this process with organization on some level. You’ve taken everything out, sorted it into your decluttering categories, and the “keep” items have to go back in; they can’t just live on your bed for the next several weeks. This may seem overwhelming, especially at first, but having a manageable plan with small, actionable steps in place to keep moving forward can help make it easier.
Minimalism can also lead to a more practical and organized living space. Minimalism goes beyond just decluttering—it encourages a mindset shift towards simplicity and purchasing with intentionality.
Designing a Minimalist Lifestyle
To start embracing minimalism, you need to design a minimalist home. Minimalist homes are designed to be simple, clean, and clutter-free. They are also designed to be functional and efficient. You can start by decluttering your home and keeping only what’s essential. This means getting rid of anything that you don’t need or use on a regular basis.
You can also consider using simple and functional furniture. Minimalist homes often have furniture that serves multiple purposes. For example, a coffee table with built-in storage can be used to store books, magazines, and other items. You can also consider using furniture that is made from natural materials like wood, bamboo, or rattan.
Keeping Only What’s Essential
One of the key principles of minimalism is simplicity. This means keeping only what’s essential and getting rid of anything that is not. We’re not that super extreme over here in our home, but when it comes to your living space, this means getting rid of duplicates, excess items, and anything that doesn’t bring you joy.
Start by going through your closet and getting rid of any clothes or accessories that you haven’t worn in the past year. You can also apply this principle to your kitchen and garage. Get rid of any appliances or tools that you don’t use on a regular basis.
When it comes to sentimental items like photos, try to keep only the ones that bring you joy or you can consider digitizing your photos and storing them on your computer or in the cloud. This will help you free up physical space in your home while still preserving your memories. Be prepared though, if you have a lot of photos, this can be a lengthy process you have to plan for.
Maintaining a Clutter-Free Lifestyle
Congratulations! I’m throwing you a freaking party! You have successfully decluttered your living space and embraced some level of minimalism. Now, the key is to maintain this newly found clutter-free lifestyle. Here are some practical steps to help you achieve that:
Building Sustainable Habits
Building sustainable habits is essential in maintaining your clutter-free home; I’ve done this as I’ve developed my guidelines for sustainable shopping online. Starting by only purchasing what you need, you can then create a system and process that works for you. For example, designating a specific place for your belongings and making sure to put them back after use can help you avoid clutter build-up. Additionally, implementing a one-in-one-out rule can help you keep your possessions (and pantry items) in check. Whenever you acquire a new item, commit to removing one existing possession. This helps keep your home chaos-free and will prevent you from having to declutter again anytime soon.
Journaling, expressing gratitude, or even talking about your new minimalist design in your home can help to cement these sustainable habit pathways in your brain. Take a few minutes each day to reflect on your consumption habits and express gratitude for the things you already have. This can help you avoid impulsive purchases, appreciate the value of the items you have in your home, and share your journey with your inner circle.
Digital Decluttering and Detox
Remember when we talked about digitizing your photos earlier? Yeah, in today’s digital age, it’s essential to declutter your digital space as well. I have so many files in my “Downloaded” folder that it’s impossible to find anything…so I end up downloading it again if I need it.
Start by deleting any unused apps and organizing your digital files. Some folder options that you might need are “Important Documents,” “Finance,” “Home,” and “Photos.” Within in each folder, you’ll want to try to have a standardized naming structure. I’m partial to starting my naming structure with the date (YYYY-MM-DD) so that the files are automatically organized in chronological order. For instance, a photo taken during a Disney vacation in June of 2020 might be named: “2020-06-03_Vacation Disney_Ginny&Belle.” that way each Disney vacation photo has its own unique identifier and I can put the vacation together chronologically.
You can also try a digital detox by taking a break from social media and other digital distractions. Or simply taking a couple minutes each day to unsubscribe to the emails you receive that aren’t filling you with joy. This can help you focus on your relationships and social circle, which are essential in maintaining a clutter-free lifestyle.
Simplifying Clutter, Embrace Minimalism
Maintaining a clutter-free lifestyle is easy once you’ve built the habits of shopping sustainably and shifted towards minimalism in your life. But the first steps are always the hardest. You’ve got to start your decluttering journey simplify your life and make space for what truly matters and brings you the most joy. By implementing these practical steps, you can achieve your decluttering goals and embrace minimalism for the long term.
