We have to limit the number of items in our homes
It is important for us to limit the number of items in our homes, because too many items lead to an increase in stress and clutter.
By having too many items in our home it can make us feel overwhelmed, frantic, and quite frankly like we just can’t get a handle of our things.
Ask yourself a question: how many items in my home do I really use frequently, or find joy in?
The answer is probably only a few or a handful of items throughout your home, when the average American household has about 300,000 items.
Limit the number of items in your home to the things that actually bring you joy and happiness, and try to reduce the clutter in your home and in your mind.
You get to decide what you keep — it’s your home and your sanctuary
You are the master of your domain, and you get to make the decisions about what lives there.
If there are items that you have had for a long time that you haven’t been using and you’re pretty sure you won’t be using anytime soon, it’s time to get rid of them and someone else may be able to make use out of them.
You control your home and items in it, so it can be liberating to reduce the amount of clutter and actually make it into a place that you love to relax in, rather than it feeling like a storage unit.
If it’s just taking up space… do you really need it?
Have you ever looked around your home, and noticed how many things or items are just taking up space?
Do you really need four different waffle irons, or should you just save your favorite one and donate or sell the rest?
It’s easy for us to just keep adding items and clutter into our homes –accumulation is natural when you’ve lived in the same home (and with the same people!) for a long time.
There are several strategies you can try out to help keep your house clear of the clutter. Some people like the “one in, one out” method. Every time you buy something new, try to donate or gift something you haven’t used in a while.
Some people like to time themselves and organize or purge for a certain amount of time (I’ve heard of the 17 minute method), so they are always are of the things they have in their homes.
The major part of why clutter has become such a big stressor is because when it gets out of control, it can feel overwhelming — many of my clients complain they just don’t know where to start.
You are not going to hurt people when getting rid of gifts or unused items
When you get rid of gifts that you got from family or friends, you aren’t doing it to hurt those people. You are doing it to regain order in your home, and reduce stress and feel mental clarity.
By having less things in our homes we feel as if we are lighter, and it can give us a sense of freedom.
By owning less stuff and having less clutter, this can help us reduce stress, and make us feel less burdened and overwhelmed.
This is important so we can focus on the crucial things in life, rather than trying to organize at home with 300,000 items.
Feeling sad or sentimental when getting rid of items is normal
We all have good memories when you inevitably find that box of high school memorabilia, or that feeling of nostalgia that make us feel attached, but it’s important to find new ways to enjoy your memories instead of storing them in a dusty box in the attic.
It can be difficult to get rid of these items that bring about thoughts of happy memories, but the memories that we have of them are what is important.
Many of our clients ask us how they can keep memorabilia or what we would suggest about how to store it.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but looking back on the things I kept from high school or college, the things that are important for me to remember now are different, just like your style changes are you grow and mature.
The best advice we can give you as you’re sorting through your memorabilia, is that if it makes you laugh or reminds you of a happy time, that it’s fine to keep it, but only keep those items that do! You can also limit yourself to one box for each “era” if you want to keep things simple.
Think about letting those items go to better use where people will cherish them more
Try thinking about how you are giving away these unused or cherished items to another person, and that they can use it to the fullest extent and fully enjoy it.
This is also a good way to get your kids on board for getting rid of toys they aren’t using anymore.
It can make the transition easier for everyone if you think about the benefits of giving someone else who could enjoy one of your extra waffle makers you have lying around.
Putting in your mind that donating or giving away items you aren’t using will be put to better use, can give you some happiness by knowing that it will be in better hands.
You can also think of people that could use the items or benefit from the item, and it can make you feel good by giving those items to someone in need of them.
It makes it easier if you have to move
This one is pretty simple — the less you have in your house when you move, the easier your move should be. Another perk of having less in your home when you go to move is that it will cost less if you have less to move!
Moving is a great excuse to get rid of things, but don’t wait until you have to move to do this!!
Making a habit out of purging items from your home when you no longer use them!
Minimalism can be a great thing & lead to a simpler life
By reducing the number of items in our homes, and adopting a more minimalistic attitude, you will see that you’ll lead simpler life with less stress.
This change can be difficult to implement, but with a bit of a learning curve, it can also be liberating at the end! When you realize you are keeping the items that bring you joy or are useful to you instead of holding onto everything you’ve ever accumulated, you start to feel like you have more freedom and time for the things you want to do!
Constant chaos and clutter can hold you back from being more productive, spending time on your hobbies, making time for friends or family and overall keep you majorly stressed out!
Clutter can drain your energy without you even knowing it.
Don’t be held back by how expensive something was… it’s time to let go (and maybe get some money back for something you actually want!)
Have you ever not gotten rid of something because you paid a bunch of money for it, even though you don’t use it?
The rule is always as follows: “If you don’t use it, haven’t used it recently and won’t use it in the future (be honest with yourself!), it may be time to get rid of it and create more space in your home for things that bring you joy, happiness or usefulness.
Don’t get stuck on how much you paid or how much it was worth, and rather ask yourself if it should still have a place in your home and whether your time and happiness are worth more.
“Just in case” is an excuse to hold onto things
Don’t live your life by the saying “just in case” as this can cause you to keep silly items for way too long, just in case something pops up.
A lot of people use this as an excuse essentially to keep more things in their home. Let’s be honest. If you haven’t worn that cardigan that you may wear in this specific situation (that hasn’t ever happened), you can let it go — and get something for a more common scenario 😉.
If you are worried about making some money off of your items in your home, try using apps such as Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Offer Up (we can also help with that!)
This can be a great place to start if you are looking to make some extra cash off of your unused or unwanted items.
As always, make sure that you are not scared of asking for help, and that you can learn how to create a less stressful home, with items in there that bring you joy or usefulness.
If you don’t believe us, believe the Berenstain Bears!
Clutterless Home Solutions would love to help you organize your home in Denver, and we are always here to help, even if you just need to ask a question or just want to say hi.
Talk Soon,
CHS Team
