We know that life has changed a lot in the last few weeks. Now, many of us are spending more time than ever at home. We work from home and we enjoy our leisure time within its four walls. But the fact that we are no longer leaving has led to a new phenomenon: everything gets messier! So we end up spending a large part of the day tidying up one thing or another, putting that object in place, walking behind the kids to put toys away or even trying to close the drawers stuffed with clothes. After so much tidying up, you’ve probably realised that there’s a lot of junk that you no longer use, that you no longer want to keep. That means the time has come to unclutter. Shall we do it?
Start by understanding what is “junk” to you. The truth is that junk, contrary to what you might think, is not just rubbish. It’s something that, for some reason, is no longer used in our lives, but can have a use in someone else’s. So, start by understanding what’s around you that you may no longer be interested in. What you don’t use, what no longer serves a purpose, what you don’t like any more. This is where you should start.
We know that, like cleaning, choosing our objects is not always the most fun task. So, why not start by taking ten minutes a day to make your choice? Set the timer and attack! Put on music or even a series or a movie and start opening drawers and boxes and looking at the shelves. Repeat for several days until you can rearrange everything.
With everything ready, start with the areas where you usually accumulate more junk: the food box drawer, the cosmetics, the closet, the box with the kids’ toys and even the bookshelf. Look for things that no longer serve a purpose or things you no longer like. Go in search of things that are damaged or incomplete and even things that are out of date. In the beginning, stay away from things with sentimental value. Yes, you will also need to organise them, but leave them for last as starting from here will make the task seem impossible.
After the initial choice, divide things into heaps: what can be given away, what has to get thrown into the bin, what can go to recycling and things you’re not sure you want to leave your home. On top of that, go to that drawer and throw out all the paperwork. Everyone has this drawer (or shelf, or closet). It’s full of papers, notes, invoices and even documents that are over ten years old. Choose, recycle, shred. You can keep the things you don’t know if you want to throw away or not in a box out of sight. If you don’t go back to the box for six months, then maybe it’s time to throw the objects away!
After everything has been chosen – and don’t worry if it takes a week to finish the task – it’s time to define where everything that remains belongs. In the end, we recommend that you create a rule that should stay with you forever: when something new comes into the house, something old goes out. Meaning that if you buy a new piece of clothing, try to replace one and take it out of the closet, for example. We know that it may not be an easy rule to adopt initially. But you’ll see that, if you succeed, everything will be tidier in the long run!
