Tag: minimalism

Decluttering – Why Does it Matter?

Decluttering….it’s a common goal, especially this time of the year. We may have had an influx of gifts over the holidays, the kids were home, structure was, well, nonexistent, and the house can easily slip. As much as we feel that pull to get on top of the clutter, sometimes it’s not lasting. Or, we swing between being on top of it – for 2 seconds – then getting out of control again. What are the reasons to declutter?

If a decluttered state is what you’re after for the long term – if you want that to be the rule, instead of the brief exception, it’s worth exploring why you want to declutter in the first place. Your why may be different than mine, and it’s important to personalize the reasons so they really resonate with you. Why? Because then, you’re more likely to stay motivated for the long haul. Here are some common benefits to decluttering. See if any of these ring true for you, or if you’d add to or modify the list. 6 reasons to declutter:

1. Stress less

reasons to declutter = less stress!

When your environment is cluttered, your mind can easily become cluttered, too. What does this look like? What does it feel like? An inability to see past the clutter to focus on other things. Easily frazzled and behind the ball. Irritable, unproductive, overwhelmed, frustrated you can’t find what you need, even ashamed.

On the flip slide, when your space is pared down to what you use and love, you notice and appreciate those things more (and the people in your space). You have more time and energy to focus on what really matters to you. There’s space to breathe.

2. Save $

When you declutter, you become more aware of what you have. And, when you know what you have, you won’t buy more of it.

You’ll likely also find that you want less. You’re content with less. So, the allure of buying the new thing starts to fade.

And, lastly, when you declutter items in good condition – that you no longer use or need, you can sell them, and put that $ toward something meaningful.

3. Entertain with freedom

Clutter doesn’t need to be accompanied by a hesitancy to have people over due to the state of your home. But sometimes that’s the case. I’ve heard clients share that they’re embarrassed to entertain, so they don’t. Their ability to connect with others, share a meal with loved ones, is being stolen due to their stuff! Their stuff and the power it is exercising is robbing them of living freely! If that’s you, you can take that power back!

If it feels overwhelming at first, here are some suggestions on where and how to start digging out. It’s so worth it.

reasons to declutter = entertain without embarrassment!

4. Find hidden treasure

Things you thought were lost or forgot you had unearth themselves. You’ll find toys that will feel brand new to the kids, “new” pieces to add to your wardrobe, or that long lost item you’ve been searching for.

5. Maintain more easily

This is one of the BEST reasons to declutter! Decluttering (not just picking up and temporarily sorting and organizing excess, but truly paring down) is a great way to set yourself up for a long term decluttered state! More than a fancy organizing system, more than products and gadgets, or throwing money at it. Paring down means there is less to purchase, fix, maintain, clean, and keep track of. There’s no magic wand of maintenance (daily habits are key), but the initial heavy lifting of decluttering is the bulk of the work.

6. Reclaim your time

Where do the days go? How can we get everything done? Always so much to do, and it’s easy to feel that our time is not our own. There is absolutely a link between being decluttered and having more time to spend how we want to spend it.

It’s easy to find reasons for our clutter and forget our reasons to declutter. “This was from my great Aunt Marge. I have to keep it.” “Everyone gives the kids so many gifts.” “Noone picks up their stuff!” I’m sure you could add to this list. And, we don’t want to minimize these challenges. But, we also don’t want to give them more power than is there’s to claim. And, we don’t want them to get in the way of our goals. Who’s in charge of your home? Do you have the ability to make positive change? To say what stays and what goes? Yes, of course you do! Baby steps. It’s well worth the effort, especially when you find (and remember) YOUR why.

Dipping a Toe into Minimalism

Full on minimalism may seem unattainable. Or, frankly, not even that appealing – at least when we think of going “all in”. But, there’s an opportunity to reframe minimalism by thinking in terms of adopting what does seem appealing, achievable, or fiscally and socially responsible.

There is a significant space to occupy that is centered between all and nothing. And it can reflect the aspects that resonate the most with YOU. Below are some ideas of how you might dip a toe into minimalism. Perhaps you already do some of these things. It’s simply a thought starter…not a checklist or a mandate. Here are 7 ways to explore minimalism:

1.Recycle

Creating less waste is certainly a component of minimalism – and one that isn’t difficult once it becomes a habit. Keep it simple by putting a container for recyclables in a convenient location, and encourage your family/kiddos to participate.

2. Have a spending freeze

This is actually a fun challenge. You can be as stringent or lax as makes sense to you. You could go for a week or a month. Or, you could designate a category or two to be excluded from the freeze. Groceries would be a common one. But, remember, this is an opportunity to stretch. So, even for the excluded categories, challenge yourself to cut back. You’ll likely be surprised by how resourceful you can be.

3. Find 5 things to get rid of

I do this periodically, and find that it’s a good practice to guard against the accumulation of excess. Anything counts. Just 5 things that were in your home that no longer will be. Trash, clothing, donations, things to sell. Identify the 5 and then act on them (ie make that drive to your favorite local donation center). On a roll? Go for 10 items! Or, 20! You’ll be surprised at how easy it is.

4. Try a capsule wardrobe

Capsule wardrobes are intriguing, but can be intimidating. They just seem so….extreme. Truth is, I didn’t know what else to title this. “Wear fewer items of clothing” just didn’t, um, sound right. Ha! At any rate, the objective here is to find those favorite versatile pieces (pick a number) that meet your needs. Choose pieces that make you feel like a million bucks and can be layered, mixed and matched and that you’ll get a lot of mileage out of.

minimalism

Wear them for a month or a season. Some people include accessories, shoes, etc. in their item count and others don’t. It’s not about rules or deprivation, but it is about finding that sweet spot, and challenging yourself to wear what you have and be satisfied with it.

5. Identify your priorities

My favorite minimalism guru Joshua Becker defines minimalism, in part, as the “promotion of things we most value”. How do we promote what we most value if we haven’t first identified those things that we most value? We often think of minimalism in terms such as decrease/strip down/lessen/minimize, but can’t forget to address the flip slide. By doing this reducing, in turn, what are we building up? Priorities, values, time, etc. We don’t truly realize the benefits of minimizing until we acknowledge this piece.

Going through the process of identifying priorities helps you find your why for taking these baby steps toward minimalism. If one of your priorities is travel, for example, then spending less in other areas will feel purposeful, You’re working toward a goal of re-allocating your spend in a direction that has meaning to you.

6. Eat more simply

We all appreciate choices, but consider the benefits of having fewer types of food on hand. Fewer choices likely correlates to a lower grocery bill, less overwhelm of what to cook, what to store, and what to consume. You’ll also likely find yourself eating more real/whole foods – as these are the ones that can stretch, are filling, and have the versatility to make different meals.

7. Start a toy rotation

minimize toys

Box up half your toys. Or, whatever fits in 2 or 3 containers. Just give it a try. Put them aside for a month and see what your kids ask for or miss. My guess is that they’ll really notice what remains. They may engage in deeper play for longer periods of time because they’re able to focus on what’s there instead of being overwhelmed by choices. Then, when the month is up, you can either choose what to get rid of, or bring things back into rotation and remove some others for a month. Just with all of these suggestions, there’s a scalability to this that can be adjusted to whatever level you’re ready for – dipping a toe, or maybe even a whole foot!