What Is Clutter?
The reality is, a clutter-free home is not minimalism or maximalism, it’s not modern or traditional. In fact, it’s not anything anyone else can “label.” And it’s not anyone's place to tell you or force you to get rid of things. What might make it easier to let go of unused items is to donate to your local Goodwill. Providing a hand up to your local community will definitely give you some motivation that you're support their mission.
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Clutter causes stress, anxiety, frustration and friction in our lives. And when we're stressed, our bodies release chemicals called "stress hormones" which can affect our mood and behavior. De-cluttering will help alleviate the stress for a happier home.
One could define home as everything you need - nothing more. We view it as helping you identify what you need and to become a conscious keeper of it. From there, you will understand why you want to keep it but also why you’re willing to part ways with everything else. And in our opinion, that’s the magic that takes time.
Because… clutter is the excess stuff that rears its ugly head in our physical, mental and emotional lives. And yet, what’s clutter in our eyes can represent a deeply cherished moment in your own life. That’s why it’s not for us or anyone else to decide or to judge how much is too much because clutter is in the eye of the beholder. While cleaning out our home, ask yourself the following to see what works for you.
Do You Use It?
Be honest & think about the last time you actually used all of those darn pyrex pans, plastic containers or all of those pens. Do any of them actually work? Ok, seriously though. How often do you use all of them?
Do You Love It?
Why doesn’t it have a home then? If you love all of your jewelry (equally) why is some of it stuffed in a bin (in the back of your vanity) where you can’t even get to it, much less enjoy it?
Do you Need it?
Really… be honest with yourself! Can you find it when you need it? What would happen if you didn’t keep it? How difficult or easy is it to replace it if you got rid of it? Often times, our struggle between what is a want vs. a need gets blurred.
Items to Donate, Recycle, or Trash for Peace of Mind
1. Unworn clothes
2. Unnecessary paperwork
3. Office supplies.
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4. Old electronics.
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5. Unmatched items
6. Expired kitchen items
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7. Old makeup and nail polishes.
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8. Some of your kids' stuff.
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9. Books you won't read again
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10. Unused exercise equipment
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So when you want to create a stress-free environment in your home, you may want to start small and work your way into deep cleaning. Removing unnecessary items now will make your annual Spring cleaning much easier. As you take the time to give yourself room to breath now, you'll be ready to open your house to some fresh air when Spring hits.
