If you love checking things off a to-do list ... start with a small space and avoid sentimental items. Consider starting with your junk drawer or the cabinet under your bathroom sink--these areas are perfect for achieving a quick win early on and harnessing the momentum to keep you going.
The 50% rule for clutter is a straightforward yet powerful principle: reduce the number of items in any given space by half.
Coined by pro organizer Kayleen Kelly, the “Core 4 Method” breaks the decluttering process into four simple steps: clear out, categorize, cut out, and contain. In essence, it's designed to take the stress and overwhelm out of the organizing process.
Take it room by room: Start decluttering one room at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Focus on a specific area before moving on to the next. Sort methodically: Divide items into categories (keep, donate, sell, discard) and work through each category systematically to prevent decision fatigue.
The overwhelm you feel when faced with a messy house may not actually be about the task of cleaning but rather not knowing where to begin. Here are some good places to get started: The floor – Sit and tidy or sort piles of mail or books, grab a broom and sweep up crumbs, or vacuum the living room rug.
Popularized by Kim Jones of Lock & Key Home, the chaos method suggests emptying every box, shelf, container, cupboard, and drawer in your space (thus creating chaos), then sorting items and organizing it all before putting it all away.
This by-the-numbers decluttering strategy is simple: Only take up 80% of any given space in your home with stuff, and leave the other 20% empty. Generally, that means getting rid of about 20% of the items in your house to ensure your home is comfortable and has a feeling of spaciousness.
“The entryway into one's home should be the first space you organize above all others, whether that is a foyer, long hallway, or just an entrance area,” according to Jane Stoller, founder of Organized Jane and author of “Decluttering for Dummies.”
Things such as cardboard boxes, furniture, large tools, anything that stores awkward. I realize sometimes these larger items can be more difficult to dispose of, but starting here is important. By removing the largest items at the very beginning, you will see quick progress in decluttering the space.
Start Small and Simple. One way to gain momentum in the paring down process is to start with the easy things. Begin boxing up items that don't hold much emotional attachment. Doing so will lead to a sense of accomplishment and provide motivation for you to keep going when the decision-making becomes tougher.
Here are some of the common reasons people struggle: Our belongings are tied up in our identity. They give us a sense of security and we feel guilty about throwing things away. They provide comfort.
Messy house syndrome presents in older adults, usually 60 and over. People with messy house syndrome cannot maintain a healthy household. They hoard large amounts of useless objects within their homes. Often, their homes are so cluttered that they are inhabitable and unsafe.
'The key to being ruthless when decluttering is to remember that your items are not serving anyone by sitting in a storage room, or a musty basement or attic,' she adds. 'If the item is no longer serving you, let it go so that it can benefit someone else. '
Symptoms of ADHD Clutter Anxiety
This may include cluttered surfaces, piles of paperwork or clothing, and difficulty finding necessary items. People with ADHD clutter anxiety may also experience feelings of overwhelm or anxious when faced with clutter or disorganization.
The 333 method philosophy revolves around one simple rule: you choose 33 items to wear for 3 months. This includes clothing, accessories, outerwear and shoes, but excludes essentials like underwear, sleepwear or workout gear.
What Is the 90/90 Rule? Created by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus of The Minimalists, the 90/90 rule is a decluttering process that requires you to ask yourself two questions about objects you're not sure about: Have you used it in the past 90 days? And if not, will you use it in the 90 days ahead?
With OHIO, you can use a method that makes it easier to tackle existing piles or handle incoming papers. The idea: You commit to handling each item only once. As you open a letter or pick up a document from your pile, you make an immediate decision: file it, act on it, delegate it, or discard it.
Decluttering gives us higher self-esteem and makes us happy. Having trouble staying organised results in feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. Seeing the disarray of things bombards our minds with excessive stimuli and causes our senses to be overwhelmed. It distracts us from our tasks causing us to procrastinate.