Clutter in Your Home

By Val Sharp

I know you’ve been hearing about de-cluttering ad nauseum. However, it’s critically important. Getting rid of clutter will change your life.

When you walk into a cluttered room or look in that cluttered closet, your heart drops. Imperceptibly, you are dealing with negativity in your own home. Isn’t there enough of that out in the world? Your home should be a place of refuge; a place that makes you smile. It’s clean, harmonious, flows, and makes you feel good. If there are any places in your home aren’t like this, you need to tackle them right away.

How do you feel when your office desk is cluttered? Is it hard to concentrate? Are your thoughts scattered? That’s how clutter in your home impacts you. Getting rid of it will help you focus. You will feel more calm and relaxed. Think of the energy that can generate!

Look at each item you own and ask yourself two questions:

Do I love it? If yes, keep it. If no, go on to question two.

Do I need it? If you used it in the last year or definitely plan to use it in the next six months, it can stay. If not, it goes.

What if you love everything or are overly sentimental? At this point, you don’t own your things, they own you. Find a loving friend or a trained clutter professional to help you let go.

What if you think you’ll need it someday? Get rid of it. You’ll probably forget you have it by the time you need it, and buy a new one anyway. Or it won’t work anymore, or you won’t be able to find it.

Some of us can’t stand waste. It’s important to look at why you’re keeping items and whether it makes sense for you. I will never need 200 twist ties or 300 plastic grocery bags. It’s okay for me to just keep a few.

Maybe you love reading and can’t stand to get rid of a book, newspaper, or magazine. Will you ever read it again? If yes, keep it. If no, give it to those who don’t have books. Give your magazines to professionals with a waiting room—doctors, dentists, hair stylists, hospitals.

What about clothes? We think we’ll wear them again one day. Or maybe the style will come back. When I left the corporate world I kept my suits for five years. Whenever I did need a suit, I didn’t want to wear ‘that old thing’ and I bought a new one anyway. So I finally gave them all away and I have the satisfaction of knowing that someone is using them. I now go through my closet every six months.

Imagine someone standing in front of you lovingly looking at an item. Would you give it to them? If so, it goes in the donation bag. When you buy something, always give away one or two old items.
It doesn’t matter if it’s expensive. If you don’t love them or need them, give them to someone who does. This not only helps someone else, but frees up space in your life for new things that you do love or can use.

Treat yourself to a home you love – declutter.

Val Sharp is the founder and past president of the Canadian Re-designers Association and the author of “The Art of Redesign – 5 Simple Steps to No-Cost Redecorating”. She instructs people in starting their own interior redesign and home staging business. If you want to become a redesigner or home stager, or you want more information about Val and her book, stop by www.sharpredesigns.com