Clutter is one of those things that demands attention whether we want to give it or not. The best way to deal with it (easier said than done, I know) is to just get rid of the things you don’t use or don’t need.
Go room by room and really look at how much time and energy everything in there demands. Make a promise to yourself to give away, recycle, or just throw away at least two items from each room. If you do this every month, you’ll have a clutter-free home in no time.
Once you have your home decluttered, make another promise to yourself to stop buying stuff! It’s so easy to get caught up in sales and bargains that we often don’t stop to think about how we will use the things we buy.
So the next time you go shopping and want to pick up that new sushi set or teapot on sale, stop and think about how much use you will really get out of it. Chances are you’ve already got something in your kitchen that will do the job. You’ll not only save space in your home by leaving that item in the store, you’ll also reduce financial stress and shopper’s guilt by leaving your credit card balance intact.
Another cause of stress by clutter is keeping up with the housekeeping it requires. I remember my mother always fussing and fretting about how clean the house was, and how everything had to be dusted at least once a day. She just about gave herself high blood pressure from worrying about it all until my dad sat her down one day and reminded her he didn’t marry her so she could be a maid.
Unless you can afford to hire a maid or a full time housekeeper, chances are your spouse would much rather have you spend time with them instead of running around the house with the duster permanently attached. Wanting to keep your house clean is normal. Wanting it to be magazine-spotless at all times is just asking for more stress. And, as a good friend of mine is fond of saying, the only reason those magazine houses are spotless is because either nobody lives there to begin with, or they paid a fortune to clean it up before they took the pictures!
And now we come to the biggie; that dirty secret no one really wants to admit to… Closet Clutter!
Buying clothes and stuffing them into the closet is a habit that can get out of control in a hurry. Some people might even go so far as to call it an addiction. I call it a cause for stress. Because all those clothes have to be taken care of, cleaned or dry-cleaned, mended when needed, and in some cases left long enough that you’re not fibbing when you pull something out and call it “this old thing I’ve had for ages”.
Over-stuffed closets and dressers also make for more stressful mornings when you’re already stressed and running late for work. Too many choices clutter your mind as much as they clutter the closet. They also require too many different pairs of shoes, of which a cluttered closet guarantees you’ll only be able to find one at a time and end up changing anyways. I’m getting stressed out just writing about it!
To reduce the closet stress, pare down your wardrobe (and your shoe collection). Get a friend to help you if you’re not sure what to keep and what to give away, or splurge and hire a wardrobe consultant. And once you’ve got things down to a manageable level, invest in some inexpensive closet organizers to keep everything clutter, and stress, free.
Your home should be your place of refuge, the place you go to de-stress. It should not be a cause for more stress in your life. These tips should give you a few ideas for dealing with clutter and the stress it causes.
Be sure to leave a comment let me know how they work for you, or add your own tips!
Have a stress-free day!
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