11 Simple Ways to Make Decluttering Easier
Inside: Use these tips to make decluttering easier in your home so you’ll be more motivated to do it!
Your home is supposed to be your sanctuary. It should be a place that brings you peace, calms you down, and allows you to focus on the things you love.
But if your home is filled with clutter, chances are it’s having the opposite effect.
It’s causing you stress.
It’s making you anxious and disorganized.
And it’s making it hard for you to focus on anything at all – whether or not you realize it.
The thought of decluttering your home might be an intimidating task, but don’t worry – it’s easier than you think to clear away that clutter.
With a little bit of effort and a few helpful tips, you might just be surprised to see how simple and stress-free the decluttering process can be.
Why do I need to declutter in the first place?
Decluttering your home isn’t just about tidying up and getting organized.
It’s about much, much more than that.
You might be surprised to learn that clutter does more than collect dust and take up unneeded space in your home. It actually has a real, tangible negative impact on your overall well-being – in more ways than one.
Eliminating clutter from your home can benefit your physical health by giving dust, dander, and mold no place to hide. If you suffer from allergies or asthma, this can trigger your symptoms in a big way.
By decluttering your space, you can eliminate that trigger and better control your environment in the long run.
Decluttering can also have a positive impact on your mental health. Being in a cluttered space can trigger stress, anxiety, and feelings of overwhelm.
Getting rid of that clutter can transform your home into a true sanctuary instead of a spot that’s actually making your mental state worse. Clutter can also make it hard to focus, stifling your ability to learn, create, or get lost in a hobby you love.
Say goodbye to that clutter and you might just find your favorite activities that much more enjoyable.
11 Ways to Make Decluttering Easier
Ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work? Let’s do it!
Keep these tips in mind as you tackle your clutter, and you’ll be surprised to see just how easy it can be to declutter your space.
1. Make it a habit.
It’s all too easy to go months, even years, without decluttering your home. Don’t let that happen. Instead, commit to decluttering your space on a regular basis – as often as you can manage.
The more often you declutter, the less clutter you’ll actually be forced to deal with each time, and the easier the task will feel.
If you can do a quick sweep through your house on a weekly basis and tackle any clutter that’s appeared, great! If not? Setting aside some time to declutter every month, or even once every three months, can make a big difference.
Having an easy-to-access basket or box available will encourage everyone in the home to get rid of unwanted items right away.
Create decluttering habits in your daily life and it will make decluttering easier going forward.
2. Start with the easy stuff.
When it comes to decluttering, you don’t have to tackle the hardest challenge first. You’re more than welcome to, of course, but it isn’t recommended.
Instead, start by decluttering the easy stuff. Get rid of obvious trash, stuff you know you’ll never use again, things you’ve already come to peace with giving up.
By making meaningful progress right away and giving yourself a quick win to celebrate, you’ll be much more motivated to keep it up.
3. Focus on one area at a time.
Once you’re done with the obvious trash, move onto a small defined space. Work on one countertop, shelf, cabinet, or drawer at a time and complete it before moving on to the next one.
One of the biggest mistakes people make with decluttering is trying to do too much at once which can feel overwhelming.
Focusing on very small areas makes decluttering feel much more manageable.
4. Try a decluttering challenge.
If you’re the kind of person who loves a good challenge, why not try a decluttering challenge?
There are all kinds of decluttering challenges you can try.
One popular challenge involves giving one item away every day. Another decluttering challenge encourages you to add one more item to your pile each day – one item the first day, two items the second, three on the third, and so on.
And for a quick and easy one-time decluttering challenge? Try the 12-12-12 challenge, which asks you to find 12 items to throw away, 12 to donate, and 12 to put back where they belong.
If you’re motivated and want to see what you can get done in a week, try the 7-day decluttering challenge. By dedicating just a bit of time each day, you may be amazed at what you can accomplish.
5. Sell or donate your unwanted stuff quickly.
As part of the decluttering process, I strongly encourage you to sell or donate anything you no longer need that’s still in good condition to try and keep it out of a landfill.
Everything from clothes and books to cookware and home decor can be donated to someone who could use it.
Whether you choose to take your stuff to a local donation facility, support a nearby nonprofit, or connect directly with those in need via Facebook Groups or some other method, make it happen fast so you can get it out of your space ASAP.
If you opt to try the selling route, make sure to set a deadline for selling your items. If they aren’t sold by then, donate them immediately.
6. Be decisive and ask clarifying questions.
Sometimes, decluttering is a very straightforward process. Some items are very quickly identified as clutter, no debate needed, and can be disposed of or donated as appropriate.
But there’s plenty of clutter that isn’t so clear-cut. What about that book you read one – that you might read again? Or the figurines your grandmother left you that you don’t really like or have space for?
When in doubt, ask yourself a few clarifying questions.
- Do I love this?
- Do I need this?
- Do I use it often?
- Is it something irreplaceable?
Be realistic about how important each item really is in your life. If you really loved it, would it be sitting in the bottom of a box for years?
Determine if each item is supporting your decluttering goals or keeping you from them. Remember that making decluttering decisions does get easier as you continue to practice.
7. Be more conscious of your purchases.
How did all that clutter appear in the first place?
Unless you inherited a property from a relative, chances are you purchased most – if not all – of the stuff you’re holding onto.
By being a little more intentional when making new purchases and only buying the things you truly need, you can cut down on the amount of clutter in your home, saving yourself time, money, and energy.
8. Set a timer.
One surprisingly fun way to make decluttering a little easier? Set a timer and see how much progress you can make in 5, 10, or 15 minutes.
While you can certainly dedicate a whole day to decluttering, you don’t have to. Working in quick sprints can be a great tactic.
By timing yourself, you turn the chore into a challenge and ensure you aren’t spending hours of your day on the task.
Decluttering feels much less overwhelming when you’re only committing to spending ten minutes per day on it. Start with some of these easy high-impact areas to declutter in your home.
9. Listen to something you love.
The right playlist can transform virtually any activity into a dance party. Don’t believe me? Put on your favorite upbeat playlist the next time you need to declutter and see just how much more fun you have throughout the process.
You can sing and dance along to your favorite songs while making meaningful progress on your decluttering project – and it won’t feel like work.
If you tire of music, turn on that podcast or audiobook you’ve been wanting to listen to. This will help you to look forward to decluttering as you’ve paired it with something you love. And hopefully, you’ll learn to love decluttering in the process too!
10. Enlist help.
What’s more fun than decluttering? Decluttering with a friend. Ask a close family member or friend to come and help you start the decluttering process.
An extra set of hands can be very beneficial. Also, having an outside perspective can keep you from getting stuck so that you make progress more quickly.
You could also consider hiring a professional organizer in your area. If you do that, make sure that you’re on the same page with how you want to approach the decluttering process.
If hiring help isn’t an option for you or you simply prefer to go the DIY route, I created the Your Home Decluttered products to walk you through the process based on my experience working with clients and students.
11. Plan a reward.
While the benefits of decluttering are a reward in themselves, planning an additional reward can help make decluttering easier.
Having something to look forward to once you complete the decluttering process will help motivate you to continue working on it.
The reward can be anything you want. It doesn’t even have to cost anything. Just come up with something that you would enjoy.
What tricks do you do to make decluttering easier? Share it in the comments!
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Your articles and tips are always so good! The guidance helps keep me on track!
I love your idea to start with the easy stuff! And set a timer! And plan a reward! I heard something recently from another declutterer that I like, Cas the Clutterbug, to just commit to doing it for 5 mins. Just 5 mins. Just start. Chances are you’ll stick with it longer, but you’d be amazed (especially if you start with the easy stuff) how much you can accomplish in a short amount of time.
Declutter one room at a time. Its less stressful!
I’m working through a big decluttering project. I think it’s an age and stage thing. Shredding old paperwork is so time consuming! I’ve shredded 3 bags so far, and more to go. Add to it the children’s possessions, 3 estates, so many defunct hobbies… it’s a serious challenge.
On the flip side, there is a lot of true gratification with having people remark on your progress.
We live rurally, and garbage disposal is limited. Donation spots are often full. I’m learning to be patient and creative, free cycle sites are frustrating with the no shows.
But I’m winning over here! And that’s what counts.
Very motivating. I love having my favorite music on as I work. It is so much more enjoyable. As I gather things to donate, I tell myself, “be generous.” I imagine someone else being so happy with the item.
My daughter, a very organized teacher, helped me clean out our garage. We took 10 big boxes of old paperwork of the businesses we used to own to a mobile shredder. The money raised went to Treasures For Teachers so they could get school supplies.
My son in law took care of tools my husband can’t use anymore. What relief to have a neat, clean garage and we did it together!
During our midwest central “bomb-cyclone” this Christmas week, I have purged my clothes, books, socks, and linens. I freed up 2 large closet drawers and pared down my closet immensely! Can’t wait to tackle the sewing room and pictures that is a total nightmare! In addition I plan to get to the basement and rearrange that area during the next blizzard! Global whatever!! Bring it on!!! LOL
One of the best tips I’ve learned is to get a large kitchen trash can, line it with a disposable baggie, and as you decide to toss that item or clothing out, put it in that container. When full, pull the liner out, tie it up, and it’s ready to go to Goodwill. Then line the trash can again, keep it close by to be ready to fill up again. I give my filled bags to my neighbor whose church donates to charities all over the world. Once the bag is gone out of my house, I have no regrets giving it away. I know it’s stuff that goes to a good cause.
Thank you for the excellent advice and insight on de-cluttering.
My tips are simple as you state: Start with one room and ask myself those questions.
Do I really love this? (That is a great question I learned from you!) Then I ask: I once
may have ‘loved; it but why is it not being used? That gets me closer to a decision.
Excess stuff really does weigh a person down and has negative effects. My reward is
walking into a room and having it free from clutter. I am then able to see the beauty.
Kind of like the forest: can’t see the forest for the trees.” Clutter spells unrest.
Thanks again!
I don’t really have a problem decluttering. I go thought my stuff real often. but my husband doesn’t like to get rid of stuff cause when he got divorced from his first wife, she got rid of all of his stuff. so now he doesn’t like to get rid of hardly anything. especially when it comes to clothes. try telling him he knows I won’t get rid of anything unless I ask him. but still no go. any Ideas of how I can help him to get rid of stuff?
This is my goal for 2024. I’ve already started. Instead of shoving clothes into a stuffed full drawer, I go get a garbage bag and empty the drawer and get rid of things that don’t fit, are missing their other part or stained or torn. Now I’m working on clothes in closets I haven’t touched in 5 years. It really feels awesome.
I am more intentional about what I purchase, now. I know that I don’t want to inadvertently get back up to a cluttered home. When, I consider buying something, I really think hard about what I can get rid of
I love all of these suggestions except enlisting help. It’s a very tender thing having someone assist in determining what you value and what you don’t. Having to justify to someone can make one (me) feel like she’s on trial. I say tread lightly in that area. Be intentional about who you allow to help you make personal and tough decisions about letting go.
My first go round I asked a friend who I thought practical to assist with decluttering my closets. She knew my taste and had an inkling what was in my wardrobe. She definitely knew that my closets were more full than need be. Before planning a date, she decided what she was going to get rid of. Quickly I realized that she had in mind a sort of Stacy London and Clinton Kelly style purge and she was way too eager to get to it. I scrapped the whole idea, took my time, thinned the closets slowly until the only things inside are items I like wearing. I needed to do that on my own as I’m often rattled by the strong opinions of others. I begin to question the legitimacy of my own. I didn’t want to rid myself of things because someone said I should only to feel deep regret later.
Clutter did trigger stress, anxiety, and feelings of overwhelm. It also made focusing nearly impossible, which became a major problem as I teleworked and was doing a poor job. I was so ensconced in and burdened by my mess that concentrating while surrounded by wayward clothes, shoes, books, bedding, and dust collecting debris in my work made performing successfully impossible. The only way out was to gain control of my home.
I’ve decluttered a few times and now am pretty sure my home is exactly as I wish it to be. The men who repaired my water heater complimented me on my taste, which was a nice little boost at 8:30am. I wasn’t embarrassed by any mess because everything was where it was supposed to be. The ongoing tasks are to be intentional about what I bring in and declutter routinely so as not to find myself in a mess again. You’re blog posts are constant reminders.