Decluttering 101

I’ll admit it.. I am a horribly messy person. Especially when I am busy, my entire room just seems to become such a cluttered mess. Up to a few years ago, I was always horribly sentimental about everything I owned, whether these things were clothes, small items, or other types of junk. My mom always joked that I was a hoarder!

Having to move across the ocean and thus having limited space in the moving container really forced me to finally get rid of all that junk. I spent a good two weeks trying to sort out what I wanted to keep and what I wanted to throw out. And here’s the kicker… when I went to unpack my stuff after I moved I found more junk!

Since then, I have tried to get rid of more and more of stuff that was just old, never being used, or just didn’t fit my aesthetic. Because let’s face it, we all want a room that looks clean and aesthetically pleasing. Those little knick knacks from seven years ago or not going to help with that. I think by now we’ve all heard of Marie Kondo and her method of decluttering. I personally love it when the show shows the before and afters of her method! She’s also so cute and wholesome, and I totally recommend watching her show.

Anyway, here are my tips to get over your reluctance to throw out your old junk!

Number 1: Make sure you have space first

You know how every time you make to clean your house or room and it somehow gets worse before it gets better? Yeah, the same thing happens when you declutter. Make sure you have enough working room and don’t end up tripping over anything.

Number 2: Assemble containers

Anytime I declutter my room I must have at least one big kitchen trash bag with me. I always find so much stuff I need to throw away, and immediately tossing it in a trash bag makes my life a lot easier.
Also make sure you have convenient storage for stuff you do want to keep! Everyone has important papers or other little things that they need to keep, you just need to find something nice to put it in. I love putting things in little boxes, and I often use Mason jars for pens, pencils, and other office supplies. It just makes my room look.. cuter. I also use binders for my important papers. I actually have multiple; one for school related stuff, one for medical bills, etc. This prevents my papers from just lying around, and they are also 100% less likely to accidentally get thrown in the trash.

Number 3: Throw away everything you don’t need

Like I said, I used to own a ton of useless junk. I had toys and knick knacks from elementary school, and as a 24-year-old I did not need those things anymore. Every time you grab an item ask yourself.. do I really need this? Will I even miss it when it’s gone? If the answer is “no” to both, toss it.

“But what if it has sentimental value?”

I used to be very attached to a lot of things, and I never wanted to throw anything away. Of course, you’re not going to throw away that heirloom you got from your grandma. But do you really need to keep that one gift your high school friend got you five years ago that you literally never use or look at? Probably not.

And sometimes you just have to make quick decisions. If you think about it too hard you will keep questioning and rethinking. If you toss it quickly, the chances are that you won’t even miss it.

Number 4: Donate!!

Technically this falls under Number 3, but I wanted to highlight the option of donation. Up to now I have been preaching throwing things away, but the truth is.. when I find something that still looks good but don’t use anymore, I still can’t just throw it in the trash. Donation is always the perfect way out for me. Maybe someone else will like the item and buy it, maybe it will never be bought. Either way, it is no longer my problem and I get to feel good about myself. Not to mention that donating things is just a lot more ecologically friendly.

Number 5: Keep it up!

Now the hardest part… Actually keeping your room clean. I’ll admit that I still haven’t accomplished this stage, but I try my best. Every time my room gets especially bad I quickly go through it with a trash bag or a donation box, so that the worst of it does not lie aimlessly on my floor for weeks on end. Placing your knick knacks and decorations in creative ways will make your room look much better! Also try to pick one day every one or two weeks where you quickly declutter everything from the week before.

These are all my tips for decluttering! Let me know what you do to keep your house or room organized and sparkly!