5 Decluttering Tips

By Stephanie Boyd Professional Organizer

We are all at home now, in the place that should be our happy place, our soft spot to land. How does it feel? Are you overwhelmed because the clutter you are accustomed to leaving behind when you go to work is surrounding you 24/7?

Here are five ways to start decluttering and organizing your sacred space:

Dedicate 20 minutes at a time for decluttering.

Schedule it into your day if needed. Set a timer – it really works!

Start in the area you spend the most time in. Just do one thing at a time. Drawers are a great place to start, as are coffee and bedside tables. Resist the urge to declutter an entire room if you have kids at home. This is not the time to bite off more than you can chew.

Contain what you keep.

Use old tupperware, drawer dividers, containers and baskets in new ways. Use them to contain that junk drawer, to hold Band-Aids and first aid supplies in the bathroom or to keep all your seasoning packets together in the pantry. There are no rules. Be creative.

Go through that paper stack once and for all.

When this time at home passes, do you really want to still be struggling with that stack? You can do it – remember, just a little each day.

Shred relentlessly and file what you have to keep. Use your existing system if it’s working. If not, create a simple one with just a few categories that are intuitive to you.

Additionally, be honest about your reading stack - set aside a reasonable amount of items to read, and revisit it in one week. If you still haven’t touched it, even after being home for seven full days, recycle it.

Create a dedicated place for donations.

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This could be in the garage, laundry room or anywhere you have some out-of-the-way space available. Most donation centers are closed for the time being or they are likely to be more selective about the types of items they accept. Keep this in mind and recycle when possible.

Address your digital clutter.

You are likely on your digital devices frequently for updates. Excessive scrolling time on social media is not productive or beneficial for your mental health. Instead, divert that time towards organizing your digital files and photos. Schedule time – even five minutes – to delete, unsubscribe or digitally file those emails.

Another great activity is to review and delete old photos or screenshots on your phone. It will bring a smile to your face to look at those memories - something we could all use right now.

Stay calm my friends, and declutter on!