Declutter Your Mind when You Declutter Your Home
It’s the start of a new year, which means new you, right? If you’re hesitant about that… you shouldn’t be. Consider this the perfect time to tackle that big project you’ve been putting off for months. The one that involves cleaning out all of that junk in your home. You got anxious as soon as you read that, right? Well, get rid of that anxiety by getting rid of all that extra junk weighing you down and what better time to start than right now? There is no better time. Let go of that coffee mug from college with the chip in the rim. Odds are you have several other mugs in much better condition.
A cluttered home equals a cluttered mind
Believe it or not, clutter has a strong effect on your mind. A study by Yale found that the two areas in your brain associated with pain also respond to letting go of items you feel a connection to. Unfortunately, establishing a connection with an item begins the moment you first touch it.
When it comes to clutter and your brain, having an excess amount of things surrounding you can make it difficult to focus, even if you don’t realize it. Physical clutter competes for your attention causing stress and difficulty in performing everyday tasks. To avoid unnecessary pain and stress, consider decluttering your home. Here are some decluttering tips to get you started.
1. Take it slow
When you decide on a starting point, say cleaning out your closet, it can easily become overwhelming. Sure, it’s easy enough to remove all your clothes from your closet, but once that’s done, you look around and see this huge pile of items you have to sort through and decide what you’ll’ keep, what you’ll donate and what you’ll toss. That alone is a huge task, but add in folding these items and putting them back in their rightful places can make this a task too hard to bear. Take stock of what you need to do and how long you think it may take. Then add on to that time so you are not disappointed when it ends up taking longer. It’s easy to burn out while cleaning out your closet, so allow yourself time to take it slow. Tackling these projects in smaller increments and time frames will savor your energy and allow you to keep it going. You wouldn’t want to start the project just to abandon it halfway through.
A few questions to ask yourself when cleaning out your closet are if you still wear an item or not or if it still fits you or not. Don’t wear it? Get rid of it. Doesn’t fit? Get rid of it/
2. Stick to one project at a time
Distractions are everywhere. While you’re cleaning, you’re likely to come across an item that doesn’t belong where you found it. Maybe you came across a pair of scissors on your nightstand that belong in the kitchen. You may be tempted to bring the scissors down and put them away when you come upon the item, but this can lead to getting sidetracked. You go to put the scissors away mid bedroom cleanout, only to find that the kitchen drawer you store them in is also a mess. You decide that needs to be cleaned as well so you start emptying the drawer. Soon enough, you realize an hour went by and though the drawer may be a bit neater than it was, your bedroom is still a mess. This can cause you to feel overwhelmed and lose the motivation to keep going, leaving your bedroom a mess.
3. Label your storage
If you have a hard time remembering where things are, consider labeling your storage containers. A lot of people put their winter clothing away for the warmer months. Don’t lose track of your clothing by stuffing it in a box and throwing it with everyone else, but instead label the box, or even color coordinate. Consider clear containers for clothing, back containers for kitchenware, and so on. This will make it much easier to keep track of items for when you need them.
4. Ask yourself 3 key questions as you go through your stuff
When you’ve started declutter and are trying to decide what to keep, ask yourself these three questions for each item:
1. Do I use it?
2. Do I really love it?
3. Would it make me money?
The answers to these questions can help determine whether or not you should really hold on to the item.
5. Use the four box method
Similar to the question method, the four box method forces you to establish if an item is useful or just holds sentimental value. The four boxes are labeled as such:
1. Keep. These are the items you use on a regular basis and have room for.
2. Sell/Donate. These are items that are in good condition but aren’t used very often or at all. You could either donate these or try to make a little money using websites such as eBay or Poshmark.
3. Trash. These are the items that are useless. Maybe the item is broken and can’t be fixed. Whatever it is, toss it and make room for your more valuable items.
4. Store. These are the times that you don’t use but absolutely cannot part with. Use this box sparingly, as you can easily get carried away with saving everything. Consider giving yourself a limit of so many items you can put in it.
White Gloves Junk Removal
Do you have junk to get rid of but aren’t sure where or how? Call White Gloves Junk Removal! With a team of efficient and educated junk removers and dumpsters at your disposal, you can get rid of your junk just like that. Call White Gloves Junk Removal today at (404) 709-8898 or fill out a contact form for more information.
