Drowning in clutter at home and not sure where to start?
If so, you aren’t alone: 91% of Canadians admit that clutter negatively impacts their lives, according to a 2019 survey by the Professional Organizers of Canada.
“The benefits of decluttering are massive because living in a mess can impact us so negatively. Mental health is a huge component,” Vancouver organizing expert Jane Stoller of Organized Jane told Daily Hive in an interview.
Clutter has been shown to affect mental health. (Shutterstock)
“Getting rid of things we don’t need reduces stress and distractions: you’ll be able to better focus because you aren’t focused on the distractions brought on by clutter. For example, if you’re always misplacing things, you get your time back because you won’t have to weed through a pile to find your keys or whatever it is,” she explains.
In the era of overconsumption, many of us simply have too many things for our living spaces, thanks to fast fashion, gifts, old toys, makeup, and more.
“Step one is realizing that you aren’t what you own,” says Stoller. “Getting rid of items that aren’t practical can free up mental and physical space.”
We’re breaking down some simple tips to get started on decluttering everything from your messy kitchen drawer (you know the one) to an overflowing closet and beyond.
1. Start in sections
Prioritize the areas of your home you use the most, such as your main bathroom, kitchen, home office and bedroom closet. Start by choosing to clutter the area that bothers you the most: for example, does your messy kitchen drawer with old ketchup packets and loose change give you anxiety while making your morning coffee? Once you have a plan of attack, you’re ready to put the gloves on and start the process.
Starting small is key to decluttering. (Shutterstock)
2. Give yourself a timeline
One of the biggest mistakes people make when starting the decluttering process is to try and do it all in one go. Bite-size time limits are the real key to success and not giving up mid-way through.
“Maybe it’s 20 minutes today or tomorrow – but not all day – set a goal because,” Jane advises. “A small timeline can really help. You don’t want to get frustrated and say, ‘I’m not doing this.’”
3. Start small and make piles
Remember, you can’t do everything at once – the single most important thing to effective decluttering is to do one drawer, cupboard or closet area at a time.
As you start weeding through the items, create three piles: keep, donate or sell, and toss. Have garbage bags or boxes handy to place the items in, and take the tossed items right to the trash when you’re done your decluttering for the day.
Create piles to determine what you’re keeping, donating or tossing. (Shutterstock)
For items that still have life in them, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Kijiji, and Poshmark are great options to sell locally.
4. Give everything a designated home
Once your decluttering work is done, you don’t want to end up back at square one. Ensuring items have a designated home is essential to not just getting organized but staying that way.
Give your items specific homes to make staying organized easier after you declutter. (Shutterstock)
“When you give everything a spot, you have to make sure that you consistently use that spot – make sure it’s practical and sustainable,” Jane advises. “That means communicating with your family with labels, bins, boxes or hooks for things – something to keep that system going.”
5. Get rid of the clutter
Taking out small amounts of trash from your “toss” pile is one thing – but the donation piles can often lead to months of procrastination. Arrange for a pick-up in your area from a local service immediately to get the things you don’t want out of your space.
Have your donation items ready to be picked up or dropped up. (Shutterstock)
“Some people will drive around with their donation bags for months because they don’t know where to take them,” Jane noted. Another alternative is to look up donation boxes for items like clothing and prioritize a drop-off at your earliest convenience.
6. Evaluate your new systems
A few weeks after decluttering, pay attention to the new homes you’ve given things: are these systems working, and do they make sense? Efficient use of your space is key to avoiding future clutter, says Jane.
Evaluating your home’s new systems after a few weeks will help you figure out what’s working and what’s not. (Shutterstock)
“Always ask, can your spaces be used more efficiently?” she suggests. Sometimes, that means getting more drawer organizers and bins or moving things around – but the key is ultimately finding what works for you through trial and error.
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