Decluttering for a Better Life – Part 1: Organizing Your Physical Space
In Part 1, we explored the transformative power of decluttering our physical space, from cupboards to shelves, making room for clarity and peace in our lives. Now, let’s delve deeper into effective strategies and practical tips that will help you maintain an organized and stress-free environment.
Tricks to Declutter
•One at a time: Begin small. One shelf at a time, to get the momentum going. If you decide to clean your bedroom in one go, you will be confused as to what to clean first and what next.
•Stress: Begin decluttering the areas that cause you the most stress as they are choc-a-bloc with accumulating possessions. E.g. your clothes
•Don’t store: Don’t store possessions that are no longer useful and occupy unnecessary space (that can be used for keeping something else).
•Worth: If the item is not worth keeping, then why keep it?
•New purchase: Now you have space, (after decluttering) you can easily purchase new products.
•Question yourself: Ask yourself “is this item really necessary now”, “am I happy with this item”, “would I buy this same thing today (if I didn’t have it)”; if the answer is no, then you know what to do.
•Marking: Use a tape to mark the possessions. Peel off the tape, when you use a particular item. At the end of a period of six months, check to see the possessions that still have tape on them – they are the ones you have not used at all: rethink and decide if you want to hold on to them or let them go.
•Scan: Look at the possessions and if you see something that is not useful, you can do the needful.
•Gain: Decluttering makes you gain space; time (as it is easier to locate things); and energy (as you are motivated).
•Decide: Decide the amount of space you want to designate for your possessions. If they are in excess, you can lessen them.
•Use not, keep not: If there are some possessions in your cupboard, that you are not going to use because you don’t like them, donate them. After all, someone else may like them.
•Click it: If you are holding on to some possessions because of sentimental value, you can click a picture of them and discard those possessions, without any guilt, as you are being practical. It will free up space but your memories will remain intact in the pictures and your mind. It helps you move on from the past and focus on the present.
•Systematic: Be systematic in your approach. Once the decluttering is done, ensure that it doesn’t recur. Use the categorised containers to keep the items henceforth.
•Labelling: Use labels for your medicine box, spice jars, toolbox, folders, drawers, cabinets etc. This will make it simpler to locate required items, instead of turning the drawers inside-out.
•Dividers: Use dividers for your clothes shelves, hangers to hang clothes, separately keep daily wear and party wear, use small baskets for trinkets, jewellery, watches, bangles, cosmetics, hair care products, etc.
•Daily use: Keep aside a small basket for your purse, wallet, watch, charger, mobile, keys, spectacles, etc. that you use daily, so that they are all available in one place and easily accessible. This way, you won’t be wasting time searching for them all over the place.
•Handy: Keep handy items like torch, matches, candles, scissors, screwdriver, sewing kit, and any such items that you forever keep searching for, in one place, making them easier to locate.
Picture this: You enter your bedroom and see your bed scattered with the unfolded washed clothes, the laptop and charger, diary and pen, spectacles, water bottle, pack of munchies, a candy wrapper – how will you feel? Chaos and dislike.
On the other hand, if you enter your bedroom and see the bed, all neat with fluffed up pillows, the folded washed clothes on the shelf; the laptop, charger and diary on the desk; the pen in the pen-stand, the spectacles in its case; the water bottle on the tray on the side table; the wrappers in the dustbin; what will you feel? Peace and happiness.
As you tidy and organise, keep the items in their proper places: the remote on the TV table, the books on the shelves, the pens in the pen-stand, the towels in the cupboard, the water bottles in the kitchen etc. As your home becomes neat, you feel positive vibes and energy. Minimalistic possessions make your home look larger and easier to maintain. You will feel like decorating your home with beautiful artwork. The stress-free atmosphere and peaceful mind will enhance your focus and concentration. For some, decluttering is therapeutic and has a calming effect.
TIP: You can enlist the help of an expert professional organiser who can assist, with tips and insights, for your decluttering process and how to utilise your space better.
‘Life truly begins when you put your house in order”- Marie Kondo
