Conquer Clutter: Less Mess = Less Stress

A room that has less mess has a better feeling to it when you walk in. The amount of stuff or clutter that you have does make a difference, although we may not recognize that it does. Finding the right balance is different for each person, but taking the time to get rid of the stuff that we don't want or need or like is wise regardless of what the balance is for each one of us. It is easier to ignore clutter, since it is often emotionally draining to deal with it. Doing nothing accomplishes nothing, so it is best to start somewhere.

Which room should you start in? It is different for everyone. It may be good to start with the easiest room so you can keep motivated by seeing quick progress. For others, it is best to start with the kitchen or bedroom so you can feel more of a difference that you wouldn't feel as much if you were tackling the guest room. I would just choose a room and and start there. Don't worry about the rest of the house. It isn't going to go anywhere. Focus on one room and take it a shelf at a time or set a time limit and work for your set amount of time. I have a couple of rooms in the house that are very easy to clean and declutter, because they don't have a lot of extra stuff in them. I love to start my cleaning there since it goes so fast. If the kitchen gets messy in the day, I will sometimes retreat to one of those rooms and sit there for a few minutes. It feels peaceful and motivates me to tackle the cleaning for the day. So, start with one room.

When starting on a room, look at the big things in the room. Do you have any furniture that you don't need in there? Clean the surfaces and the things that are on the floor. Do you like the pictures on the walls? Do you like the bedding and colors of the room? What is the room used for? Are there things you can get rid of to make it more peaceful to be in or easier to keep clean? Get rid of things that you don't use any more. Sell them instead of donate if it makes you feel better and makes it easier to let go. The best motivation to declutter comes from doing it and seeing the progress and how much better you feel when it is done.