Want a More Soothing, Less Stressful Home? Declutter!

The beginning of a year is a great time to reflect on the past, learn what can be improved and implement positive changes. While we’re in the second month of 2024, that means the year is still young. One change you may want to consider—especially if you crave more soothing, less stressful spaces—is to declutter. 

Every home accumulates clutter, whether it’s the rooms, in the garage, on the patio, in the courtyard, or in the yard. Stuff just seems to appear and multiply at a shocking rate. But you can gain control by periodically decluttering, perhaps space by space so it’s not overwhelming. Here are some motivating tips from Real Simple magazine:

Elegant hall with a wooden storage

1. Entryway

Use a boot tray or shoe storage bench to provide a home for footwear. Install a hook, bin or basket for each family member. Store off-season items out of the way. Use a change jar, sunglasses tray, key hooks and umbrella holder to establish order.

2. Kitchen

Make sure your most-used items are easily accessible in cabinets and drawers—and the rest is higher or farther back. Use divided inserts or multi-tiered inserts to separate categories within drawers, especially the usually chaotic junk drawer. Only keep appliances used daily on the counter; store everything else.

3. Bathroom/Linen Closet

Throw away toiletries you haven’t used in a year or donate unopened ones to homeless or women’s shelters. Store towels at eye level; roll hand towels and washcloths and stow them in baskets. Use stick-on, motion-activated lights to illuminate closet contents.

4. Kid’s Room

Use clear bins so kids can see what goes inside, keep them small and store them in a large cubby. Put a hamper in the closet for clothes that no longer fit and make a trip to a donation center when it fills up.

5. Bedroom

Hang all clothes facing the same direction and arrange like items together. Use an acrylic letter file to store clutch purses upright on a closet shelf. Get a basket to hold discarded clothes—rather than the bedroom chair. Style dresser tops and bedside tables with just a few items so they don’t become magnets for clutter.
Diane’s Take: Decluttering is something that should be done on an ongoing basis. Start decluttering early in the year and see how the good energy of your home increases. Continue the process regularly to keep that good positive energy flowing in. Happy decluttering!
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