Clutter Solutions - Techniques and Tips

If It Feels Good - Keep It!
Use Your Feelings as a Guide to Declutter Your Home

The books make it sound so easy to get rid of your clutter: 'Just grab a dozen cardboard boxes, line them up, and start throwing things in them!' That sounds really inspirational, yet when you have all those empty boxes lined up and you are standing in front of the shelf trying to decide what to toss in those boxes, all that inspiration can just compress itself into an unpleasant knot in your stomach.

So how do you decide what to put in those boxes? How do you truly declutter your home? We'll give you a series of ideas and solutions. Here is the first:

How to declutter using your feelings as a guide

Think about the overall purpose of clearing the clutter from your home. You may at first say that it's so you can invite friends over without embarrassment, or so that your home is orderly and clean, or even so that you can actually use rooms of your home again. Those are likely all very true, but keep thinking. The real reason is to rid your life of the embarrassment, the stress, the guilt ... all those feelings that fill you up and make you feel heavy, confused, and unworthy.

So today we will tackle clutter from that perspective. You'll easily fill up at least a few of those boxes. It is a good way to start to declutter home, garage, and even your office!

Take several clearing breaths and stretch or walk briskly or anything that allows you to let go of all the feelings and stresses of the present. Do your best to be as clear minded as you can. Yes, this may be a little difficult at first because clutter by it's nature doesn't allow you to be fully clear! But do your best. It gets easier as you go.

Now pick a place to start. Choose a corner, a wall, or even a place that bothers you the most. Don't get caught up in this. Give yourself 60 seconds to decide, maximum.

Stand in front of the item, or group of items you have selected. Erase logic from your mind - this is an exercise of your emotions. Look at the item. Quick - how do you feel? You may not be able to label the emotion - was it joy? dread? guilt? love? The most important part is to know if the feeling is pleasant or unpleasant. Does it energize you or does it make you feel weighted and confused? It does not matter how expensive or potentially useful the item is. If it makes you feel bad, put it in a box.

It's ok to have a box labeled, "Think About It" so that you can look through it later and decide if you really need to keep the item. As items get put in any of the boxes, you will be amazed at how happy, energetic, and light you begin to feel.

Some suggestions of items that can make you feel bad and really need to be removed:

Items that have long needed repair,

Misguided but well-meaning gifts,

Clothing or items that you "should" use but don't,

Items that remind you of an unpleasant time, event, or person,

Things you bought that were supposed to change you or your life (but didn't)

Items that seem ugly to you,

Things that demand that you do something you don't really want to do

Items that are a dreaded headache to clean,

Items that are from an abandoned hobby,

Anything that you want to get rid of but keep hearing some else's voice say you really should keep it,

Things that were a mistake to buy but you feel reluctantly obligated to make the best of it

Items that make you feel overwhelmed and dreading (such as a 5,000 piece, 3-D puzzle),

Anything that makes your stomach tense even though you can't explain it.

Of course I could go on, but you get the idea. Make your own list of how items can make you feel bad. Again, don't give yourself more than 60 seconds to decide on whether to put an item in the box. Remember, it's a feeling exercise, not one of explanations or logic.

When you have used up your time for the day, go ahead and seal up the boxes that you are sure you are ready to get rid of. Carry them away and make arrangements for them to be donated, given to friends, or disposed of immediately. Leave the other boxes - the ones that make you feel a bit uncertain or even guilty. Let them sit for a day or a week. You'll be amazed at how you don't even want to go near most of them. They really carry some negative energy!

That's it. This is one idea for removing clutter- a technique for using your feelings as a guide to eliminate clutter and declutter your home.

Check out our list of suggestions for places to give your items at Simple Life's Clutter Control Center . Thanks for reading. I hope that this is a great help to you.

More decluttering tips and clutter clearing ideas from Simple Life:

Time Your Tasks for Clutter Control

Is That Donation of Goods Tax Deductible?

Clear Your Clutter - Use It or Lose It

Will a Housekeeper Simplify Your Life?

Clear the Clutter: Act As If You Already Are

Use Your Zorro Circle to Clear Your Clutter

Empty the Box and Clear Clutter Like Magic