Are you ashamed to admit that your house requires a good purge? Do you just shut the door and walk away since you don't use that room anyway? Or maybe you close the door and cross your fingers your junk won't come crashing down when you open it next?

Do you have way too much, things you planned to give away, things unused or you are keeping for 'one day'? But realistically, who knows when that one day will be?

What a better way to use your time in lock-down thoughtfully and productively than a declutter of your home. You may like to tackle it by yourself or get your family members to chip in too.

Why Declutter?

I can assure you, without a doubt, eliminating the excess in your home will leave you feeling refreshed, lighter, cleaner, and more energised than ever before. It is a good thing for your health to live with less. You will experience less stress, anxiety; your wellbeing will increase and you will become more productive. Though, it can be an effort to get to that point, so I will break it down for you into small steps to help you persevere.

Rules To Decluttering -

• Toss something out if it is broken, stained, ripped, outdated, not working, or expired.

• Get rid of items you have more than one of.  

• Everything has a place. When you use it, return it to its place. If it does not have a home, then it does not belong in your house.

• If you buy something in the future, try to purge something from your house.

• Ask someone to help if you would like - you do not have to do it alone.

• Change your habits - leave your kitchen clean each night. Go through and eliminate your mail each day. Use a planner for chores, meal prep, and weekly overview and have them on display so everyone in the family can see.

• Remember you live in a home, not a storage unit.

• Collect what you need to declutter such as garbage bags, a black texta, boxes, notepad and pen to help you get organised.

• If you find it difficult to part with something sentimental, take a photo of it, so you always have something to look back on.

• Create seven boxes or bags – label them with - to keep, toss, give, do, sell, fix, regift. Sort your items into each category. Then sort each bag and do what it says. Keep it and place it where it goes. Toss it in the bin. Give it to someone. List and sell it. Fix it and then put it back where it goes if you think you will use it again. Regift to someone. Make their day.

• If you are struggling to find time to declutter, even though you have all this time at home at the moment, forgo your time watching television at night to tackle things in a big chunk of time. 1 hour each night will make a huge difference. Sometimes you have to make a mess before you can have a clear space. Keep that in mind.

Items To Safely Eliminate Fast -

• Containers with no lids or lids with no containers.

• Old tea towels – send to the rag pile

• Old or expired food.

• Excessive gadgets/appliances – dehydrator, snow ice machine, fairy floss maker, waffle maker. Really? When was the last time you made fairy floss? Try to minimise to have under five appliances in the kitchen that you use often.

• Gifts you have never used, never intend to use or don't like.

• Things that make you unhappy to look at – e.g. old empty fish tank, snow gear, children's clothes they have outgrown, photos. Remove items that remind you of sad times and things that have no use or are not used anymore.

• Things still in the their box – that you have no need for.

• Empty cardboard boxes from your gadgets – keep the instruction manuals and receipts in one place if you still use these gadgets.

• Cookbooks on the shelf you never even look at.

• Reduce the amount of cutlery and plates and cups – less is more here. This is a forced way to wash up and reuse these items.

Steps To Decluttering -

Are you a stuffer or a stacker when it comes to your cupboards? Do you have to force the drawer closed? Well, if that is the case, that's not a good sign. Firstly get your seven boxes – to keep, toss, give, do, sell, fix, regift. And start going through your items and organising your stuff.

• Start with your clothes, move onto your books, then paper documents, miscellaneous, and lastly sentimental items. Follow the same steps for each area. Then go through your kitchen, bathroom, garage, kids room, your room, lounge room, dining room, games room and all the other rooms in your house one by one.  

• Take everything out of the cupboards. Pile it together in one huge pile. Preferably in another area of the house but it also works if you pile it in the same room.

• Thoroughly clean the area; vacuum, dust, wipe down.

• Only put back what you need and will use.

• Consider where is the best place to put other items.

• Sort, label any boxes or storage bins.

• Start small, one piece at a time if it is too overwhelming.

Steps To Decluttering Your Garage -

Do you have to park your car outside because your garage is full of boxes that have not been unpacked from your move eight years ago? Seriously? You paid good money for your vehicle, a hailstorm could happen at any time, eliminate your boxes and park your car inside as a matter of urgency. If you haven't used the items in the boxes after eight years, I am guessing you won't use them in the next eight. You are probably holding onto things for sentimental reasons. It is time to consider what you should really be holding onto; can I pass it onto someone else who will find it worthwhile or can I make money by selling it? Do the difficult and uncomfortable mental and emotional work to serve yourself better today. You can not live in the past, and you don't know how much longer you have in the future. You don't want to leave this burden for family members when you pass, whom, I am guessing will toss most of it all anyway.

• Open one box at a time. No more. Deal with this box first otherwise, it will lead to overwhelm. Even if it is a tricky box, go through it and look at each item. Face the uncomfortable emotions that arise. It will be worth it in the end. Just wait and see.

• Decide to chuck, give to another family member or friend, donate to charity, sell or keep. If keeping it, put it somewhere straight away. Find a place for it in your house. If throwing it out, have your bin nearby. Bin it straight away. If you are donating have a box handy and if you are would like to give it away have a bag labelled to put it in for the person. Start listing and selling things on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or eBay that day. The idea is to move items on quickly. Sell it at a reasonable rate otherwise, you might be pushing your luck to sell it. Clear your space.

• Even going through one box can be frustrating or cause anxiety so take your time. Go easy on yourself. Have patience with yourself. If one box is all you can handle in one sitting, then just go through one box. But don't leave it too long between boxes. Try to tackle them within a month or two. You may be surprised by how light and free you feel once you have addressed the boxes, and the clear space will make you feel fantastic. There will be no more stress or anxiety arising when you think about it. You can hold onto some of it, but you probably won't need all of it.

Further Support

Are you after further inspiration or connection? Join these Facebook groups

• Zero Waste Minimalist

• Simple Savers

• Minimalism: Declutter Your Life

• No Sidebar: Community

• Buy and Sell community pages
  

Have you been using this time in isolation to clear your house? What have you eliminated from your place that wasn’t getting used? What is your system to declutter? Feel free to share and join the conversation below.