We continue our series on decluttering your life:
You think you’re a clean person. You don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink—well, at least not often. You sweep occasionally. Heck, sometimes you even make your bed. But still the clutter piles up—whether it’s mail, books, or clothes. And it quickly becomes so overwhelming that it’s hard to know where to start.
We asked professional organizers for their top tips to get rid of clutter for good! They’re all super simple and won’t leave you picking up for hours on end.
7. Stop feeling obligated to keep things.
“Just because mom gave you a gift, passed on a family treasure, or showed up with a giant box of your old school papers doesn’t mean you have to hang on to them. All of those items retained out of guilt end up filling your valuable storage and weighing you down, when someone else might really need or enjoy them. Learning to gently say no (or donating what you don’t want, need, or use) will go a long way toward a clutter-free existence.” — Sara Skillen, SkillSet Organizing
8. Keep only what you can store.
“Clothing should fit into closets and dressers. Make sure cleaning and toiletry supplies can fit into your cabinets or closets. If there isn’t room, review what is stored, and purge excess by discarding things that are expired or worn and donating what you know you no longer use.” — Annette Reyman, All Right Organizing
9. Clean up mental clutter.
“Most of us are living anywhere but the present moment. We are either stuck in the past or anxious about the future. My number one tip for releasing mental clutter is to meditate. While there are lots of traditional meditation practices, I always tell clients to begin where they can and think outside the box. If you’re calming your mind, you are headed in the right direction. I love to mow the lawn—that’s meditation for me.” — Julie Coraccio, Reawaken Your Brilliance
