7 Tips For Decluttering Any Space

I started writing these tips for clients of mine who are at home, and will be tackling some projects solo. Instead of sharing with just them, I decided to compile these into a blog post, to share with you all - because oftentimes, the decluttering process can be incredibly difficult. 

I get it. 

When you’re decluttering alone (or at least without your organizer) it’s really hard to stay on task, to not get distracted, and to work for longer than 20 minutes at a time. So - here are my top tips for decluttering in any space, especially if you find that space incredibly overwhelming.

1. If it’s close to mealtime - eat before you start. The worst thing you can do is declutter on an empty stomach. I do this for a living, and strategically plan my meals before sessions so I’m making sure to eat plenty of protein before I meet with clients. The last thing I want is to feel hangry during a session.
   
   

2. Be sure to have water on hand when you’re organizing. This is super important. If you only read two tips in this post - make it the first two (which ironically don’t have anything to do with decluttering). That’s how important they are, not only to your own sanity and health during the process, but so you’re less cranky to your family members who you may have roped in to help you with your decluttering project! As one of my clients always says: “Hydrate early & often!”
   
   

3. If you don’t know where to start: Decide to work in one direction. I’m not talking about Harry Styles - that blog post is coming another day. What I mean by this is - decide the course of action for the space that you’re going to work in. If I’m helping a client declutter a whole room, we might start on the left-hand side and work clockwise around the room. If we’re decluttering a bookshelf, I might start at the top and work my way down, or from the bottom and work my way up. The direction in which you work doesn’t matter as much as having a plan in general. That way, when you’re in the middle of your project and don’t know where to go from there (or start to feel overwhelmed), you know what to do next.
   
   

4. Know that you may get overwhelmed during the process. Recognize that it may happen and that it’s ok. If you feel overwhelm creeping up, take a quick break to have some water or a snack. Come back to your project in a few minutes - it will be easier to continue after you’ve had a little space. Also, if you’re having trouble staying on-task, sometimes it helps to set a timer, even for 20 minutes. The ding of the timer will remind you to take a water break and dial back into your work.
   
   

5. When you come back from a break, focus on where you stopped last. Block out everything else in the room, just focus on what’s in front of you - the task at hand. When you look at an entire space as a whole, it can be overwhelming. When you can break things down into baby steps, it’s so much easier!
   
   - Focusing on one shelf instead of a giant overstuffed closet
   - Decluttering one bin of memories instead of a packed garage
   - Working on one drawer at a time in your dresser
   
   

6. Sort as you go. When I work with clients, I always have bins for recycling, trash, and donations. In addition to sorting those items, I’m also helping clients sort their “keep” items into categories. The categories will change depending on what area you’re working in, but just remember - the goal of sorting is so that you’re able to put things back together, like-with-like. This is so that:
   
   - When you buy new items - they have a home
   - When you want to work on a certain project, you’re able to find your supplies easily
   
   

7. Follow up on your piles - but not right this second. A tough thing about organizing is that if you’re working on your whole house, often you end up creating small piles that don’t necessarily have a home, yet. An example: You clear out your office, only to discover that you have a pile of items that need to go in the bathroom… but the cabinets and drawers in the bathroom are a total mess. So then you end up starting to organize in the bathroom, and while in there you find a few items that belong in your closet, which basically just a pile of clothes, so you start sorting them… you get the picture. For many people - this becomes their downfall and is where they give up. Here is my advice:

Don’t give up!

There is light at the end of the decluttering tunnel my friends, but it takes time. Give yourself some grace, and just work in ONE space at a time. Take that pile of stuff for the bathroom, and toss it under the sink with all the other stuff. Or you can put it in a bag and stuff the bag under the sink (that way when you get to the bathroom - you know that bag is full of “keep” items). If you find yourself feeling distracted or overwhelmed - that’s when you know it’s time to go back to #4. Take a break. Drink some water or have a snack. Take a deep breath, and keep going.

I hope these tips help you as you’re decluttering at home. If you’re feeling stuck, or need a personalized action plan, I am here to help you with Virtual Sessions. You can learn more here.

You can also check out more free tips on my Instagram, Facebook or get inspired at the Tidy Revival Pinterest page. If there are topics that you would like to see covered on the blog, you can email me anytime at carly@tidyrevival.com

All photos in this post by Kai Skye Photo

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