As the New Year dawns upon us, it’s the perfect time to bid farewell to the clutter of the past and welcome a fresh, organized start. Decluttering is not just about clearing physical spaces but also about creating mental clarity and a sense of renewal. In this blog post, we’ll explore 7 things to declutter at New Year’s to kickstart the year on a positive note.
Welcome to the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series! We will be starting in the bathroom this month. Each day is dedicated to spending only 30 minutes decluttering your specific daily task. We will be working 5 days a week, so you can take 2 days to enjoy time with your loved ones.
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 sign up here.
Check out my ebook on this topic, entitled Make Over Your Homemaking. Use this link to get it at a discounted price.
7 Things to Declutter at New Year’s
- Wardrobe Wonderland:
The closet is often a haven for forgotten items and impulse purchases. Begin the decluttering process by going through your wardrobe. Donate or sell clothes you haven’t worn in the past year, making room for pieces that truly resonate with your style. This not only frees up space but also makes getting dressed a simpler, more enjoyable task.
- Digital Detox:
Our digital lives can be just as cluttered as our physical spaces. Take some time to organize your digital files, photos, and emails. Delete unnecessary apps and files, and organize your desktop for a streamlined digital experience. Consider unsubscribing from newsletters that no longer interest you to declutter your inbox.
- Kitchen Cleanse:
The kitchen is often the heart of the home, but it’s easy for it to become cluttered with unused gadgets and expired food items. Tackle your kitchen by clearing out expired items from the pantry and refrigerator. Donate or sell kitchen tools and appliances you rarely use, keeping only the essentials. A clutter-free kitchen can make meal preparation a more enjoyable experience.
- Paper Purge:
Paper clutter can quickly accumulate, from old bills to magazines and newspapers. Invest some time in sorting through your paperwork, shredding or recycling what you no longer need. Create a filing system for important documents to keep things organized throughout the year.
- Mindful Media Consumption:
Evaluate your media consumption habits, including books, movies, and digital subscriptions. Donate or sell books and DVDs you’ve already enjoyed, and consider canceling subscriptions you no longer find valuable. This not only reduces physical clutter but also helps you make room for new and meaningful experiences.
- Relationship Reflection:
Consider decluttering your social circle by evaluating the relationships in your life. Surround yourself with people who uplift and support you, and let go of toxic relationships that no longer serve you. This can contribute to a more positive and fulfilling year ahead.
- Time Management Tune-Up:
Decluttering isn’t limited to physical spaces; it also involves freeing up mental space. Reevaluate your commitments and schedule, eliminating activities that no longer align with your goals or bring you joy. This allows for a more focused and balanced approach to your daily life.
As you embark on the journey of decluttering for the New Year, remember that the goal is not just to create physical space but also to foster a sense of mental clarity and well-being. Embrace the opportunity to let go of the old and welcome the new, setting the stage for a year filled with positivity, productivity, and personal growth. Happy decluttering!
Struggling with the daily housekeeping chores and wondering: What Housework Should Be Done Daily? Grab my free ebook to walk you through the process. What Does a Deep Clean Include? One of my best Deep Cleaning Home Tips is to use a House Cleaning Planner. Check out my ebook on this topic, entitled Make Over Your Homemaking. Use this link to get it at a discounted price. Better yet… get it FREE when you subscribe to my site. Also, you can find my room by room Declutter House Checklist at the end of this post.
Maybe your house is clean but cluttered. If so, you need to know a few Declutter Tips and Ideas before you start using the Step By Step Decluttering plan I use. Does a Cluttered House Cause Stress? You Bet! Let’s look at a reputable, mental health site to answer that question and see exactly How Clutter Affects You. Then you can learn Why and How To Start to Purge Your House.They have given us 8 ways mess leads to stress and exactly How Clutter Affects You. According to Psychology Today:
How Clutter Affects You: Clutter can play a significant role in how we feel about our homes, our workplaces, and ourselves. Can a Messy House Affect Your Mood? You bet! How Does Clutter Affect Your Life? Messy homes and work spaces leave us feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed. Yet, rarely is clutter recognized as a significant source of stress in our lives. (source) But, unnecessary stress is one aspect of How Clutter Affects You.
How Clutter Affects You Mentally can help provide the motivation you need to know How To Start To Purge Your House. Why does mess lead to so much stress? (source)Getting rid of all of that stress can be one of the best declutter motivation tips you need for some instant Decluttering Inspiration.
- Clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli (visual, olfactory, tactile), causing our senses to work overtime on stimuli that aren’t necessary or important. (source)
- Clutter distracts us by drawing our attention away from what our focus should be on. (source)
- Clutter makes it more difficult to relax, both physically and mentally.(source)
- Clutter constantly signals to our brains that our work is never done.(source)
- Clutter makes us anxious because we’re never sure what it’s going to take to get through to the bottom of the pile. (source)
- Clutter creates feelings of guilt (“I should be more organized”) and embarrassment, especially when others unexpectedly drop by our homes or work spaces. (source)
- Clutter inhibits creativity and productivity by invading the open spaces that allow most people to think, brainstorm, and problem solve.(source)
- Clutter frustrates us by preventing us from locating what we need quickly (e.g. files and paperwork lost in the “pile” or keys swallowed up by the clutter). (source) So, experiencing constant frustration is another aspect to How Clutter Affects You.
Overwhelmed by a Messy House? It can really affect you negatively. How Do You Deal With a Cluttered Mess? One way is to have a plan, set aside a specific time, and learn the Step By Step Decluttering plan I use for helping others learn How To Start To Purge Your House. What Cleaning Should Be Done Daily? I have a room by room specific Printable House Cleaning Checklist linked above. Also, you can find my room by room Declutter House Checklist at the end of this post.
For a clean, simplistic look, one of the best Deep Cleaning Home Tips is to declutter a room before cleaning and then use an Easy House Cleaning Schedule to maintain it. Declutter Checklists can help you learn How to Declutter a House.
How Does Clutter Affect Your Life? As you can already see, there are at least 8 ways we become negatively affected by clutter. Also, I though it might be thought provoking to look at some statistics on clutter to learn more about How Clutter Affects You.
- US consumers buy 40% of the world’s toys, but bear only 3% of the world’s children.
- Most people wear 20% of their clothing 80% of the time. (source )
- 9.4% of U.S. households rent a storage unit. (source)
- People do not look at 80% of the papers and information they keep.(source)
- The average American house is double the size it was in the 1950s–and getting bigger. (source.)
- The U.S. Department of Energy reports that one-quarter of people with two-car garages have so much stuff in there that they can’t park a car. (https://www.becomingminimalist.com/the-statistics-of-clutter/)
- According to the National Soap and Detergent Association, getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40 percent of housework in the average home.(https://www.becomingminimalist.com/the-statistics-of-clutter/) Wouldn’t eliminating a lot of housework provide some declutter motivation?
Today, we’ll lay out the solutions to get you some Help for Cluttered Homes using my tips on Why and How to Declutter a House. Plus, we’ll look at a few ways to answer the concern of How Clutter Affects You and what you can do about it.
Adding extra stress is one of the main problems of How Clutter Affects You. So, let’s make a plan to rid ourselves of clutter and start cleaning it up. What Cleaning Should Be Done Daily? A Printable House Cleaning Checklist will help you keep your home clean and maintained. I’ll even give you my Deep Clean Checklist and Declutter Tips and Ideas to help you get started.
A few guidelines to keep you on task:
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.
4.Avoid thinking too long about whether to keep or discard an item. Recruit help if you are stuck in the decision process.
5.Avoid cleaning during your declutter. Getting rid of the clutter is your priority. Cleaning can be accomplished later.
We are working in the 2nd bathroom this week. Your task today for today, December 31st is to: Declutter any unused linens such as stained curtains or excess shower curtains.
Need to deep clean? I have lists for you to guide you along.
My How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Kids’ Rooms list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Living Room list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom list can be found here.
Also, to keep up the general housework, you may need to create a daily housekeeping schedule that suits your specific needs. To do so, I have created a helpful series you can read here.
Need to Declutter Every room? I have declutter checklists for every room and every space in your home to guide you along below.
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.
Struggling to decide if an item is clutter? Use these questions below to help you determine whether to keep or toss any item.
How to Declutter the Guest Room or Your Kid’s Room checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Laundry Room and Patio checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Coat Closet/Hall Closet/Linen Closet checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Home Office checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Attic checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Garage checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Living Room checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Kitchen Checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Entry/Foyer/Mudroom checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Clothing checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Bedroom checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Bathroom checklist can be found here.
Happy Decluttering!
To Subscribe to this Declutter Series, drop me a comment below. Your email will be sent to me but will not be posted publicly. You’ll receive a daily declutter task via email for the daily task we are working on. You can unsubscribe at any time.
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. 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.
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.
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?.…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.
Interested in becoming a full-time blogger like me? Check out my blogging series. At the top of every page on my blog, you’ll find a drop down menu. Just select the BLOGGING category.
Check out the most popular posts on deemiddleton.com:
14 Things That Make Your Home Look Cluttered
How to Create a Daily Housekeeping Schedule
How to Clean House When You Are Completely Overwhelmed By Clutter
What is Preventing You From Getting Organized?
Also, check out a great post on decluttering over here from becomingminimalist.com. Joshua Becker has some great tips on decluttering and minimalism.
For further reading, check out the fly lady here. She has some great cleaning and decluttering ideas plus excellent organization tips to get you started.
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