Decluttering and Organizing Your Spaces

Is it possible to change your life by decluttering and organizing your spaces? If you’ve ever done a cleanse, then you know how eliminating things like caffeine, dairy, sugar, and wheat can affect your body and emotions. Giving those things up is uncomfortable at first, but by the end, you feel emotionally lighter and more physically supple and radiant. 

Going through your closets, drawers, desk, and garage and organizing, streamlining, and reducing your stuff has similar benefits. A decluttered space is more peaceful and calm, and the letting go of old energy is liberating. Here are some of the benefits of decluttering and organizing:

• Reduce Overwhelm – We’re constantly processing the visuals of our environment, even if we don’t realize it. Decluttering and organizing streamlines visual stimulation, so we automatically feel more at peace. 
• Better Boundaries – Eliminating the physical things with which we no longer resonate helps us do the same in the rest of our lives. By decluttering, we begin to consciously shape who and what we let into our world.
• Release Energy Blockages – Decluttering and organizing helps free your spirit. Clearing clutter releases old stuck ideas and attitudes and having everything in its proper place makes room for your life force (qi) to expand into new, inspired territory. 

How to Declutter and Organize

If you’ve lived in the same place for awhile, the prospect of a decluttering and organization project might seem a bit overwhelming initially. There are many philosophies and methods for doing this, and we recommend picking and choosing the ideas that make the most sense for you. Here are a few of the guidelines we implement when sorting and beautifying our physical spaces:

1. It Doesn’t Have to Happen All at Once

All that stuff didn’t get there overnight, and streamlining it isn’t going to happen in a single day. Pick small sections of your home and spend a couple of hours at a time organizing and eliminating things. This prevents burnout and overwhelm. Give yourself a couple of months to get through all your spaces (set a deadline!) and don’t wait too long between decluttering/organizing sessions because you can lose momentum.

2. Decluttering and Organizing are Not the Same Thing

This is one of the most important tips: decluttering is not organizing. Begin with getting rid of the things that no longer resonate with you or that you no longer need. Have a plan for taking them out of your home (no piles of things sitting around for months waiting to be donated or taken to the dump).  Once you’ve made space, you can begin to organize the things you’ve chosen to keep.

3. This One Rule

How do you know when to let go of something? A good rule is if you haven’t used or worn it in a year, it’s time to let it go. When it comes sentimental items that you want to keep but no longer use, consciously store them in a designated container so they stay organized and keeping them becomes a considered choice, rather than an unconscious default. 

4. Daily Use = Convenient Location 

Even after decluttering, you’ll have things you use more often than others. Place the daily items front and center (give them their own special drawer or section of a closet), and give the other, less used things their own space so they’re not intermingled. This will help you feel streamlined and clutter-free for longer.

5. Declutter and Organize Regularly

Instead of waiting years to do this process, practice it regularly. Once you’ve done your initial decluttering and organizing, it will be much easier to return to your spaces with an eye for tidying. We like to do it in the Spring and Autumn, just as you might do a cleanse. 

6. Be Discerning About What You Bring into Your Space

Now that you’re an organization queen (or king), you must be discerning about what you choose to bring into your space. Before buying something, consider whether you actually need it and where you will store it. This will make your future decluttering endeavors much easier (and potentially save you money). 

Happy #SelfCareSunday!  We hope this helps you create more peace and creativity in your beautiful life.