Clutter-free living

By Misty McNally, Natural Home Magazine
Getting control of the clutter in your home is a major step toward reducing stress. And it’s not as difficult as it might seem.

STEP 1: Lighten Up

A. Get rid of things you no longer need or want. Sort these into boxes labeled “Recycling,” “Thrift Store,” “Friends,” “Garage Sale.” Finding new homes for your items puts resources in the hands of those who truly need or want them.

B. Most people don’t realize how much they really own, said Ariane Benefit, a professional organizer from New Jersey. “I’ve seen people who have 7 coffee makers, 43 pairs of jeans or 12 opened bottles of cinnamon,” she said. In such cases, it’s easy to get rid of the excess.

You should eliminate:

¯Things that don’t work

¯Things that annoy you (e.g., a rickety old file cabinet with a stubborn drawer)

¯Things you’re keeping because someone gave them to you

¯Things that bring up negative thoughts. “Don’t force yourself to keep something you no longer want just because you paid a lot for it,” Benefit said. “Every time you look at that thing, it will bring you down.”

¯Excessive amounts of freebies, such as all those pens you’ve collected.

C. Before you keep something that might not be worthwhile, Benefit recommends you ask yourself: Do I really love this? How does this item make my life better or easier? Have I used it in the past year? Will I really ever use this again?

D. If parting with particular items is stressful, Benefit suggests putting them in a closed box for a trial separation. “A year from now, if you haven’t used anything in the box, donate it without even opening it,” she advises.



STEP 2: Organize

A. Once you’ve eliminated the excess, sort items into laundry baskets or large boxes labeled by purpose: Craft Supplies, Toys, Garden. Employ smaller baskets, hampers and boxes to organize the little stuff.

B. Store things you use daily or weekly in the most accessible spaces, such as on the middle shelves of your closet or pantry, in the front. Seasonal and holiday items that come out once a year can go in the harder-to-reach attic or top shelves.



STEP 3: Keep It Up

Maintaining a clutter-free life gets easier as you establish new habits. Avoid the urge to buy more stuff; as time goes on, you’ll find it’s second nature to ask, “Do I really need this?” Try these ideas for cutting back on purchases:

¯Have your children give a toy away to a charity each time they get a new one.

¯For every new piece of clothing you buy, donate a gently used one to charity.

¯Whenever possible, fix things instead of tossing them.