When you are first starting to declutter. It can feel hard and very overwhelming. The volume of work and not knowing where to start can disrupt anyone’s mojo for decluttering. It can stop you from even starting as you look at the whole decluttering project as a whole.
In my own decluttering journey. I would often find myself be overwhelmed, frustrated and lost within minutes of finally finding the motivation to start. I would look around and just give up before I even started. With so may rooms and being a large family. I was drowning in our stuff as it took up our living space, our time and my mental space of thoughts. I was stressed.
With draws being overstuffed to the point the things in them started to overflow. Intruding into another space. It was easier to see my home had become overstuffed with things. Every room was bursting at the seams. Hardly ever being able to finish the daily cleaning task. And the image I had in my head for each space in my home, lost under the clutter and disorganisation.
It become harder to know where to start. The wondering and quilt of tossing something I might need one day. Would always come to mind frequently.
That was until I discovered some items, could just be tossed away without any guilt. They had either had worn out their use or became broken. It was a shining light in the overwhelm. Giving me the motivation to continue and take another step forward to a more manageable home with less stuff.
What are these items you ask. That can kick started your journey to living with less? Here they are listed below.
Broken Objects And Toys
Objects in your home can break. Whether it is from age or through accidents. Yet for some reason, they don’t always make it to the bin when it happens. Maybe you think you can fix it or it can be repaired by someone. Yet it is still sitting somewhere in your home months, if not years later. It is time to rethink and toss it. If you are not going to repair it in the next two months then it is time to move it on, instead of allowing it to take up you space in your home.
Broken toys are a never ending story in my home. With eight children in the home, with their own individual toys collection. There are always toys that are to broken to repair or have been completely over played with to the point they just fall apart.
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Unless the toy is sentimental to the child, like a toy they have used as a comforter since they where little. Broken toys are something quilt free to part with. It will also help to have a frequent monthly or bi-monthly purge of broken objects or toys to maintain the clutter of their collections. Helping to make room in their storage spaces and for when they are gifted new items in the future.
Unwanted Gifts
Gift giving it the greatest of evils for some people who have a very hard time of letting go of things. We don’t want to make the gift giver feel as if we are ungrateful by rehoming their gift that we just don’t love. Instead we allow these gifts to take up space in over homes and fill it with things that don’t bring happiness to our lives, but instead help stimulate the overwhelm.
I personally didn’t have an uh-ha moment until I read a quote one day that said, “We are not Obligated to keep other people stuff, to make them happy.”
That is when I realised that yes someone gave it to me. But no I don’t have to be burden with the thought of hurting the givers feelings. It felt freeing to give myself permission to say, thank you but it is time to let go of this because someone else will love it more than me. It will be appreciated more somewhere else in the world. No more quilt.
Magazines/Books You Have Read
Magazines and books can take up space really quickly. The more you buy or receive the more they will fill up the allocated storage space and start to overflow into other areas. And that is where the trouble can begin.
However the good news is there are always books and magazines that we can easily let go of. Either because we don’t like them or they just don’t interest us anymore. It is ok to give yourself permission to let go of the ones that are just not serving you anymore. To start thinking of your bookshelf as the favourite book or magazine space. Not the every single book I have ever bought space.
Unneeded Toiletries
Toiletries are for some reason a category of items that just multiple over time. If we don’t like something we will store it for later. Or perhaps there is a skin care range that doesn’t suit your skin or routine anymore. As we buy more or try more, the collection grows.
If you are someone that just might have a build up of toiletry product hidden or even displayed in your bathroom. Now is the perfect time to declutter and purge those ones you just don’t love. This can instantly free up space in your bathroom.
Paper Clutter
Paper clutter can be one of the biggest categories of clutter in a home. Even with everything starting to become available via email. There is still a bunch of paper that is coming into the home. Things can soon become out of control.
I have always had a long battle with paper clutter, but once I made a system to control the papers that where coming into the home. And bought an organising filing tube to keep the important documents in, so they where properly stored. The paper clutter became more manageable and has be placed on the bio-weekly purge list. Keeping that paper clutter at bay and contained to one area of the home.
Clothes That Don’t Fit Or Are Worn Out
As much as we want to hold onto clothes that once fit us and hope they will again. It is time to let them go. Give yourself permission to free up your storage space for clothing, for things that you love and actually wear. Rid the wardrobe of items that are either way too big or way to small. We don’t need to be holding onto clothing that isn’t making us feel good about ourselves. A couple of things that may mean something to use is fine. But keep it to a minimal. We don’t want draws bursting at the seems or get ourselves into a wrestling match just to hang up clothing.
Out Of Date Or Disliked Foods
Whether you stockpile or just have what you need. If your pantry is overflowing then there just might be some expired food that are hanging out taking up much needed space. If you haven’t decluttered your pantry for a while. Then the pantry will be a great place to start your declutter journey. With most items being a quick yes or no answer on what stays and what goes. While you’re in there finding all of your out of date foods. You may as well throw out the food you or your family just like. There is not point in holding onto to food nobody will eat.
Home Decor You No Longer Love
Home decor is a category that always has a new trend every season. As much as we would like to keep up, it isn’t always budget or organising friendly to do so. If your display areas are becoming crowded or you have home decor items you just don’t love or want anymore. Then toss them or donate them. They can bring someone else a bit of happiness in their home.
Hobby or Crafts That are not longer of use or interest in
You could be someone who is a quick hobby shifter or someone that has one or two hobbies at most. Having hobbies can bring large amounts of stuff into your home. If you have a hobby that you gave up on because you didn’t like it. Then give yourself permission to move the stuff you purchased for that hobby on. If you are not doing then hobby anymore then you don’t need the stuff for it. It is taking up space in your home that you could be using for stuff that you are interested in.
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This is more true if your hobby involved craft supplies. In my own experience, I had a large collection of jewellery making and fabric supplies. But with two other hobbies, like art and this blog taking up my time. I decided to most, if not all of my supplies and equipment for jewellery making and the fabric/sewing/knitting supplies on. Giving them to a friend who was much more interested in these hobbies than I was. I got so of my space back to better store my art supplies. While my friend got more supplies that didn’t break her own budget. It was a win, win for both of us.
My final thoughts….
Decluttering is a journey that can be as long as you want to make it. It can be difficult to make decision around what stays and what goes in your home. That is why it is always important to start with the easy stuff to motivation to keep going.
When you look at your decluttering project as a whole. It can be overwhelming and discouraging by the sheer volume of work you have to do. There is no quick fix, unless you are will to get rid off everything in a day and start over. But as the moto I tell myself over and over goes.
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a Time”
It is the same with declutter. You pick up one item as a time. Focus on this item and decided if it stays or if it goes. And if you did this with just two items a day. By the end of the month, you may just have gotten rid of sixty items that just weren’t serving you or making you happy anymore. And that is progress.
The quick Re-cap of 9 guilt free items to Get Rid Of
- Broken Objects or Toys
- Unwanted Gifts
- Magazines/Books You Don’t Read
- Unneeded Toiletries
- Paper Clutter
- Clothes That Don’t Fit Or Are Worn Out
- Out Of Date Or Disliked Foods
- Home Decor You No Longer Love
- Hobby or Craft Supplies
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