15 Tips to Declutter Physical Mail and Papers

Embarking on the journey to declutter your physical mail and papers is a transformative process that brings order and simplicity to your living space. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s easy for stacks of unopened mail and disorganized paperwork to accumulate, creating unnecessary stress. By implementing strategic and practical approaches, you can regain control over your space and establish a system that not only declutters but also streamlines your daily routine. Whether you’re drowning in a sea of bills, struggling to find important documents, or simply seeking a more organized living environment, these ideas will guide you through the steps to a clutter-free and efficient paper management system.

Welcome to my Year Long Thorough Declutter Series. We declutter 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Each day we do a daily task based on the room we are working on. Today, our task is to start decluttering your clutter in your entryway. If you prefer watching videos, check out my youtube channel here. Today, we’ll look at some tips for decluttering mail and papers in your entryway.

The best way to develop a new habit is by slowly and daily application. We will begin a new daily declutter habit starting with the 2nd bathroom. In the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series, we will declutter 30 minutes a day, five days a week on weekdays. Sign up to receive daily encouragement and motivation.

Plus, you’ll learn your specific daily task to work toward completing the goal of a Year Long Thorough Declutter where you will declutter every space and learn how to start to purge your house. Are you ready to finally get organized? If so, will you join us? Leave a comment below to subscribe.

If you are new to the blog, welcome! I blog about cleaning, decluttering, and organizing. You can find my free printables to help you get organized in the drop down menu under the Printables category.

Currently we are working on how to unclutter the Entryway, Foyer, & Mudroom. The daily task for today, Nov. 16, 2023, is to begin to declutter mail and papers in your entryway. Remember, we are focusing on just the entryway area, so don’t declutter your whole house. We will cover each room separately.

15 Tips to Declutter Physical Mail and Papers

Decluttering physical mail and papers can be a rewarding and liberating process. Here are some ideas to help you get started:

Create a Mail Sorting Station: Set up a designated area in your home where you can sort through mail as soon as you receive it. Have bins or folders for different categories such as bills, important documents, and junk mail.
Daily Mail Routine: Make it a habit to go through your mail every day. Discard junk mail immediately and sort the remaining items into relevant categories. This prevents mail from piling up and becoming overwhelming.
Go Paperless: Whenever possible, opt for electronic statements and bills. This not only reduces the amount of physical mail you receive but also helps the environment. Contact your service providers to switch to paperless billing.
Set Up a Filing System: Establish a filing system for important documents. Use folders, file organizers, or a filing cabinet to keep track of items like tax documents, insurance papers, and legal paperwork. Label folders clearly for easy retrieval.
Shred Unnecessary Documents: Invest in a shredder to dispose of documents that contain sensitive information but are no longer needed. This helps protect your privacy and prevents clutter.
Designate a Paper Recycling Bin: Have a dedicated recycling bin for papers you no longer need. Regularly empty this bin to keep the clutter in check.
Create Action Folders: Designate folders for items that require action, such as bills to pay, forms to fill out, or invitations to respond to. This helps prevent important tasks from slipping through the cracks.
Implement the KonMari Method: Follow the principles of the KonMari method by Marie Kondo. Hold each paper or document in your hands and ask yourself if it sparks joy. Keep only the items that are truly necessary or bring you happiness.
Scan and Digitize: Consider scanning important documents and storing them digitally. This reduces physical clutter and provides a backup in case of loss or damage.
Set Time Limits: Dedicate a specific amount of time each week to decluttering and organizing your papers. Setting manageable goals can make the process less daunting.
Create a Mail Calendar: Use a calendar to mark important dates such as bill due dates, subscription renewals, or appointments. This helps you stay organized and ensures timely action on important matters.
Unsubscribe from Catalogs and Magazines: If you receive catalogs or magazines you no longer read, take the time to unsubscribe. This reduces the influx of unnecessary paper into your home.
Implement the Two-Minute Rule: If a task takes two minutes or less to complete, do it immediately. This prevents small tasks from accumulating and becoming overwhelming.
Use a Command Center: Create a central area in your home, such as a bulletin board or command center, where you can pin important notices, reminders, and to-do lists.
Involve Family Members: If you share a living space with others, encourage everyone to participate in the decluttering process. Assign responsibilities and create a system that works for the entire household.

Remember, the key to successful decluttering is consistency. Regularly maintaining your organized system will prevent future paper clutter from accumulating.

As you embark on this journey to declutter your physical mail and papers, remember that the goal is not just to clear space but to create a more organized and harmonious living environment. The strategies outlined here are meant to be adaptable to your unique needs and preferences. Take the time to assess what works best for you, and don’t hesitate to modify these ideas to suit your lifestyle. By incorporating these habits into your daily routine and staying consistent with your efforts, you’ll not only achieve a clutter-free space but also experience the mental clarity and peace that come with a well-organized home. Here’s to a simpler, more streamlined life free from the burdens of paper clutter.

Steps to Take to Declutter Physical Mail and Papers

1.Only spend time on your specific daily task.

2.Do not get side-tracked or distracted.

3.Work within a time of day that you have the most energy and stamina. This is one of the most useful declutter motivation tips. Listen to your body and work at decluttering when you feel the most alert and energized.

4.Avoid thinking too long about whether to keep or discard an item. This is one specific way for How to Be Ruthless When Decluttering.

5.Avoid cleaning during your declutter. The goal is to purge the dead weight. Getting rid of the clutter is your priority. Cleaning can be accomplished later. Read on for more declutter motivation tips and my room specific deep clean checklist, though, as you will begin cleaning after your declutter.

Tips to Declutter Physical Mail and Papers

Supplies Needed:

1. boxes -preferably ones you can donate (Avoid plastic storage bins because you may be tempted to just store the items and not part with them.)1. boxes -preferably ones you can donate (Avoid plastic storage bins because you may be tempted to just store the items and not part with them.)

2. sturdy trash bags

3. marker/pen to label boxes

Decluttering Tip: Avoid using storage bins to declutter. Storage bins tend to tell your brain to “store” the items for later. That is just delaying decisions. If you aren’t getting rid of items when you declutter, you are not truly decluttering. This is why I recommend a trash bag, also. A trash bag tells your brain to “trash” the item.

Obviously, recycle if you have that option. The boxes you use should be ones you are willing to part with, so I recommend sturdy cardboard boxes. As to donations, there are many charities that will come pick up your items for you at your home.

I use one in particular where you can book an appointment for pick-up online. This is so convenient, as it saves you the hassle of hauling stuff away yourself. Scheduling that pick-up also motivates you to declutter by a certain date.

Steps to Declutter Physical Mail and Papers

1. Start by eliminating trash first- use a sturdy trash bag

2. Sort items by category if needed so you can see what you have

3.Get rid of items that don’t work or that work poorly, expired items, anything you don’t love, anything that you’ll never use again

4. Box up the donations and trash/recycle the rest

5.Select a charity to donate your items and schedule the pick-up if that is an option

How Do You Declutter Your Entire House (and get it deep clean?): Need to deep clean?

First, My How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen list can be found here.

Second, My How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom list can be found here.

Third, My How to Deep Clean Your Kids’ Rooms list can be found here.

Fourth, My How to Deep Clean Your Living Room list can be found here.

Fifth, My How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom list can be found here.

You can get your printable Daily Housekeeping Routine and Deep Cleaning Your House Schedule here. This 15 page printable kit is delivered digitally to your email for you to print and personalize. What Does a Deep Clean Include? It includes a daily schedule, calendar pages, and deep cleaning checklists for every room and area of your home. Check out the link above to see a sample page of what you’ll get in my printable set designed to help you create your personal Homemaking Checklist.

Also, you can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home. You can find that here.

New to deemiddleton.com and don’t know where to start? I recommend going in this order:

Step 1: Check out this post on the 1st step you should take to get organized. If you don’t have a calendar, you can grab my free weekly printable calendar page here. It is in my shopify store, but it is totally free, so you won’t be prompted to put in any payment information. It is a free download and will be delivered straight to your email.

Step 2: Create a daily Housekeeping Schedule. You can use this series to start to set up your own schedule. You can also use this simplified weekly schedule.If you often ask: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Or, if you struggle to get organized and have tried and failed time and again, you can likely find out which of these 11 reasons cause you to fail to get organized.

Step 3: How do you remove clutter? How Do You Declutter Your Home?.…Sign up for the Declutter Series and get your entire home decluttered in just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.”Declutter Your Home” checklists are provided in each email.

Step 4: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Use a timer and use the Deep Cleaning Checklists above. They will help you get your home sparkling after you’ve decluttered.

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