Are you looking to do a bit of “back-to-school” season decluttering around the home? I recently put pen to paper, and came up with 3 tips that might help you to keep things organized this Fall.
#1: My rule of thumb is to have a dedicated home for every item – and to commit to putting it back when you’re done using it. “Don’t put it down – put it away,” as the mantra (recently popularized on “ADHD Tiktok” goes. This tip becomes even more powerful when a book has an exact spot on the shelf or a tee shirt has an exact spot in the drawer – the more specific you are, the more likely these things will end up where they belong. Once you know where everything goes, your process for tidying up becomes simpler: get things back in their spot. That way, you don’t have to spend time making decisions while tidying.
#2: We’ve all heard of the “backwards hanger method” when decluttering your closet – it’s a common practice to move on things that haven’t been used in a while, but I ask my clients to look through a different lens. There are a dozen reasons you might not have worn something – the point is – do you love it? How does it make you feel when you wear it, see it, and touch it? In this way, you might discover treasures buried in the back of your closet that you haven’t had the opportunity to wear – but now with a clearer space and more awareness of your style, you’ll be able to break it out. Just because you haven’t touched it, doesn’t mean it has to go.
#3: Clutter creates more clutter and items tend to group together – even one item (a set of keys, a hat, a remote) on a table can become a magnet to more clutter. Try defining the space where something decorative or necessary can go – for example, on a coffee table put your candle & remote controls on a nice tray – this will help bring focus to the area, making the arrangement look more purposeful, and can prevent other clutter from building up around those items. Hey – this tip is so good I was recently quoted in this Redfin article: The Best Decluttering Checklist to Curb the Clutter: 16 Actionable Tips from the Experts. Click on through to see 15 more great tips for clearing the home!