Tips to declutter your home

To live with purpose, we must move away from the consumerist mentality of purchasing and accumulating an abundance of possessions. Our focus should be on removing or minimizing unimportant items from our home, instead favoring those which have a significant role in our lives. By making conscious decisions that reflect our values such as sustainability, health and social responsibility, we can effectively live more intentionally.

The goal when decluttering is to reduce and minimize first, then organize what you have left. This sequence is critical otherwise you are just organizing and potentially hiding the clutter instead of reducing. The key is to decide what you really need and reduce the things that you don't.

Another tip is to avoid the trap of buying more items to make your space look organized; this is a consumerist viewpoint. Get creative and utilize what you already have around the house – unused boxes, baskets, and bags – to organize your space. Don't be duped into believing that plastic bins are the only way to achieve organization!

OK let's get into it.

Declutter Your Closet

• Go through your clothes, shoes and accessories and categorize them into the following categories and begin to edit down from there.

  1. Seasonal wear are clothes that are warn at certain parts of the year. This could be a things you wear for Christmas, Halloween, Skiing, Camping, beach, vacation, etc.

  2. Weekly wearables are things that are part of the normal laundry rotation - these are the clothes you normally wear to work, run errands, go to the gym, shopping, or at home relaxing, etc.

  3. Wear for social occasions are things you were wear for going out to dinner, drinks, BBQs, date night, etc.

  4. Wear occasionally refers to items you wear maybe a few times a year for special events like weddings or galas.

  5. Never wear are clothes or items you haven't worn in 2+ years. Maybe these items don't fit or they have gone out of style.

Now let's begin the downsizing and decluttering

• Be honest with yourself and think about why you are holding on to these things.

• Does it spark joy for you? Give the Marie Kondo method of holding it in your hands and asking yourself if it sparks joy for you. If it doesn't spark joy, then it goes.

• Try it on! If it doesn't fit well or hasn't fit in a long time, consider donating or selling it if it's in good condition.

• Does it reflect your style? Is the clothes or items in your closet on brand with who you are?

• Evaluate damaged or stained clothes. Are they fixable? Can you reuse for cleaning or something else?

Declutter Your Kitchen

• Go through your tableware and utensils and remove any broken, chipped or unusable kitchen items. If possible try to fix it and maybe give it a new home.

• Discard those outdated non-stick pans and pots that have started to peel or become scratched. Studies suggest that the compound used to cover these utensils can be detrimental for your health, so it is best not to take any risks! Check if you local area has a recycling office where these items can be taken away, otherwise head down to the nearest center which recycles them.

• Go through your fridge and cupboards and throw out any expired food that is no longer safe to eat. Look closely at spices and condiments as their potency can decrease over time.

• Discard any food storage containers that are broken or have missing lids, and choose to use sustainable materials for future containers.

• Take inventory of the appliances in your kitchen to ensure they are functioning properly and throw away any items that you don't need or use, freeing up vital space.

Declutter Your Bathroom

• Go through all the products in your bathroom cabinet and stick to the basics.

• Throw out products that are empty or expired and donate anything that hasn't been opened yet but you know won't get used anytime soon.

• Take a look at your make-up and get rid of anything you don't use or haven't touched in 6+ months. Look into non-toxic products instead of chemical-laden items, as this will be better for the environment and your health.

• Remove any towels that are ripped or don't get used. They can be reused as cleaning clothes.

At the end of this process, you will feel lighter and have more clarity and focus around your space. Take some time to think of decluttering as an opportunity to create a clean and organized environment that reflects you and your lifestyle.

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