Physical clutter is an unnecessary memoir of your days as a mindless consumer. As you start to see the benefits of a life of minimalism, it is likely that you will need to de-clutter your home, to adjust to your new lifestyle and philosophies. This can bring simplicity to your life, and clarity to your mind. For anyone looking to make cut-backs to their life, a home clearance is the place to start.
We don’t need so much stuff! Our privileges have lead us to believe that it is appropriate behavior to acquire items and objects for keepsake, even if they have no use, or direct or sentimental value. The extremity of this perspective leads to hoarding. A person who hoards finds it very difficult to throw away objects, even if they are tatty, useless, or broken.
Most people are guilty of some degree of hoarding, and as a result most people’s houses end up containing far too much stuff compared to what they actually need, or even want. When you think about it, and when you are encouraged to make decisions about whether to throw things away, you will probably come to realize just how quickly you have managed to accumulate… a whole load of junk.
Even if you live in a large home, the de-cluttering effect is marvelous, but for those who live in a small house it is even more important.
This is 21st century minimalism. It is about applying the value of hardcore minimalism to every day life, and to ordinary homes. Living in a hut in the jungle is one way to be a minimalist; another is to make changes to your current lifestyle that come to represent your values on living a simple and humble life.
There are three basic steps to de-cluttering your home:
1. Decide what you don’t want or need
2. Get rid of it
3. Don’t buy any more unnecessary stuff
If only it were that easy…
In reality you may find it difficult to part with your beloved objects, even when you know that there is no real reason to hold on to them. You may also be unsure about how is best to get rid of your identified hoard: there is usually a nicer way than shoving it all in the trash.
Mental Experiment
A useful mental experiment is to imagine that you are moving into a very, very, tiny house, unless this is already a reality for you, in which case you will have some serious de-cluttering to do already. Some flats and eco-houses out there are less than 100 foot. Imagine that you must fit all of your possessions into one of these homes, and still have space to live and breathe. Now come back to reality and be thankful for the space that you have. Now, it is time to begin the de-cluttering.
Top Tips For Learning To Let Go
Attachment to objects can make it difficult to let go. Here are a few tips to try to ease the pain:
– If the item does not bring you joy, is not used, or is unlikely to be used, then it should be removed. If it is broken, useless, tatty, and has no sentimental value, then it should be removed.
– The hardest things to throw away are gifts, as well as old stuff. Don’t feel guilty about getting rid of these when the time comes. The other culprit is miscellaneous bits and bobs- that a lot of people confuse for being useful- stating, “that will come in handy some time.” No, your rusty paperclips will not come in handy some time.
– Don’t try to go from extreme hoarder to extreme minimalist, overnight. This might be too much of a shock to your system. Instead, get rid of the easy stuff first, or set yourself attainable targets for de-cluttering. You can always go back for more later.
– If you struggle to throw things away, ask a friend or family member to come and help you to de-clutter your home. They will have a external and independent perspective that will help you to work out whether you are keeping hold of a load of junk.
Storage, Then Room-By-Room Approach To De-Cluttering
It can seem daunting to begin the process. I recommend a room-by-room approach to de-cluttering your home. This way it is possible to make meaningful progress, and see the results of your actions, in a short amount of time. When you have finished with one room, you simply move on to the next. The only preliminary is to de-clutter your storage space. Do that first to make space. You will then have more options for storage when you move on to the rooms.
This is a great approach for anyone who thinks that they will have a lot of stuff to move:
– Begin with your storage space, including cupboards, wardrobes, and your attic or basement. Basically, you are looking to empty as much of your existing stored items as possible. Have fun doing this; it can be interesting looking through old photos, and objects from the past. But remember, the idea is to get rid of as much as possible; so only keep the truly sentimental objects.
– Sorting through your storage will free up a lot of space for use as you de-clutter your house.
– Next, pick a room to begin with. Start with the room that has the most irritating amount of clutter in, or just pick any room that you fancy. Sift through all of your belongings, and decide what you can and can’t keep. Follow our tips for getting rid of items (below) if you are struggling with this.
– Love everything that you are keeping for sentiment into storage, and anything useful into an accessible place. Everything you are getting rid of should now be put to one side, out of the way… forget about it!
– Move on to a new room. Repeat the process.
– When you are happy that all of your room have been de-cluttered, you can go to work on getting rid of the items. If you have a lot of rooms, or a lot of items, then you may need to take care of half of it, and get rid of the rest later.
Where Is Best To Get Rid Of My Clutter?
Valuable Clutter – Give it away to friends; one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Alternatively, give it to a charity shop of your choice, or advertise it on freecycle.com, a site where you can gift your valuable junk to strangers. A garage, yard, or car boot sale could also be an enjoyable and lucrative way to get rid of your objects, while making some extra cash too.
Broken Clutter And Junk – Broken, worthless, and tatty clutter may be harder to sell or give away, but you may still be able to find a good home for it. If not, then take the metals and other valuable materials to a scrap yard and get cash for it, and try to recycle the rest at a centre. The trash can should be your last option; laziness is no excuse. Waste can be dealt with properly, as part of the minimalist mindset.
The benefits of de-cluttering your home are immediate; more space, a feeling of openness, a better atmosphere in your home. When you take the first steps of minimalism a process of learning to be less attached to objects begins. You won’t miss all of that junk. As soon as it is gone you will wonder why you kept it for so long in the first place! Pretty soon after you will be going back for another round of de-cluttering.
