Are you overwhelmed by the environment you live in? I was too! But over the past few years I have become really interested in decluttering and minimalism in general, which has helped me feel much more calm in my home!
I think minimalism is super subjective. There is no right or wrong way to do minimalism. Minimalism can mean having one set of dishware and silverware, 2 books, and 15 articles of clothing. Or minimalism can mean having a complete set of dishware and silverware, hundreds of books, and enough clothes to fill a closet.
I don’t call myself a minimalist because I don’t want to put that label on myself. If I called myself a minimalist, I don’t think I’d let myself buy more books to keep on my shelves or more clothes for my closet, even though I want those things! Although I don’t call myself a minimalist, I have found a lot of calm and peace from implementing minimalist ideas into my life.
My interest in minimalism and decluttering started when I fell into the world of minimalist YouTubers. I found people like Matt D’Avella, The Minimalists, Ashlynne Eaton, Sarah Therese, Meghan Livingstone, to name a few. These people seemed so content with their surroundings, and I felt overwhelmed by mine. It wasn’t hard to figure out what my problem was.
I had too much stuff!
My closet and dresser were overflowing with clothes. My bathroom drawers wouldn’t close properly because they were so full. Every space in my home was covered with knick-knacks or books or old papers.
My chaotic environment was making me feel overwhelmed.
I am very affected by my environment in general, so it wasn’t surprising that clutter made me feel overwhelmed and stressed. Minimalist individuals online inspired me, and I decided it was time to make a change.
Decluttering was my first step towards a more minimalist life. I found that decluttering was actually fun for me, and I enjoyed the process of going through everything I owned and getting rid of what I didn’t use. I started decluttering in my closet and worked my way through all of my belongings. The process was slow, but it was so worth it. I feel much less overwhelmed by my belongings now, and I find that the home my partner and I have curated is much more calm and peaceful!
So what are you waiting for? Here are 5 places in your home to start decluttering today!
1. Closet
The first area I always go to when I’m in a decluttering mood is my closet. I really enjoy clothing and finding new clothing pieces, so this is an area that I need to make a conscious effort to keep from getting out of hand.
When I first decluttered my clothing, I cut down on my clothes and donated several trash bags full of clothes that I never wore or hadn’t worn in years. It actually felt really good to have a smaller wardrobe and fewer choices of what to wear. I found that through the past year, I have been able to build a wardrobe where every piece of clothing can be paired with multiple items, and everything just goes together. I barely have to think about picking out an outfit anymore!
To declutter your closet, start by taking everything out and laying it on your bed or on the floor. This makes it feel like you have a ridiculous amount of clothes, so don’t be alarmed! Then go through every piece of clothing.
First, think about if you like that piece of clothing. Then think about when the last time you wore it was. Some people say to think about when you wore it over the previous 6 months, but as someone who lives in a climate that has very distinct winters and summers, I find this difficult.
Instead, I tend to think about if I wore that piece of clothing in the last season it would fit in. For example, with long-sleeved shirts, I will think about if I wore them during the previous winter. If I didn’t wear it, I donate it.
Once you go through every piece of clothing, you can put the pieces you are keeping back in your closet. Keep in mind, you may have to reorganize after decluttering!
2. Coat Closet
If you’re anything like me, your coat pockets are always full of receipts, gum wrappers, and granola bar crumbs. Because of where I live, we only wear coats for about half of the year. The other half of the year, our coats are just collecting dust in the coat closet.
In the springtime, I like to go through all my coats and empty out the pockets. I don’t want food or crumbs sitting in my coats for the next six months! I’d recommend doing this once or twice a year, just to make sure that there isn’t anything gross sitting in your coat pockets.
I also like to go through my coats and make sure that I wear all of them regularly. If there is a coat that I am not wearing regularly, I will donate it.
Your coat closet may also house your shoes, so this is a great time to go through them as well! Which shoes do you gravitate towards most? Which do you never wear? Are there any shoes that are uncomfortable or don’t fit properly? Now is the time to get rid of any shoes that are no longer serving you!
3. Bathroom
Oh, the bathroom. This is the room that gives me the most trouble when it comes to decluttering. I don’t know how it even happens, but I just seem to collect and hoard products.
I always have a bunch of extra shampoo, conditioner, soap, and lotion. Not to mention all the skincare products that I buy, use half of, and then let sit in my bathroom drawers for months. Oh, and let’s not forget the 9 bottles of hair gel. NINE??? How does this happen?!
I really do try with my bathroom, though!
A few times a year I will do a big bathroom declutter because items tend to just build up. I get rid of expired products and try not to hold onto things that I “might” use because I never do.
Once I get rid of all the items I don’t use, I will go through and reorganize everything. It is easiest to keep the products I use daily on the counter in a basket. I keep all my makeup in the drawers then. This works really well for me, and I always know where everything is when I organize it this way!
I know that all of you have expired products or products that you completely forgot about in your bathroom right now. Go. Go declutter them!!
And then, when you’re done, organize your bathroom drawers! It will make your life so much easier!
4. Kitchen
The kitchen is another place where people tend to collect items and then forget about them or never use them. People collect little kitchen gadgets and tools, use them once, and then they get hidden away in drawers and forgotten about.
We’ve all been there!
Since moving into an apartment with my partner in May, I have tried to be really conscious about what is in our kitchen. Since we’ve only lived here a few months, so we still have some things that we haven’t used yet, but might come in useful in the future. I’m hesitant to get rid of too much because we have only been in this space for a short time. And this is totally okay! This is a part of decluttering that should be discussed more, the uncertainty of an item’s usefulness when you have only lived in a space for a short time.
I think around the 6-month mark of us living here, I will be doing a big kitchen declutter and getting rid of anything we haven’t used, but for now, we are living with probably more items than we need, and that is totally fine!
Some areas of your kitchen that you can declutter at any time, though, are your refrigerator and your pantry. Make sure that you don’t have any expired or rotten food and that everything is organized to your liking. This will make things a lot easier when trying to find a snack or preparing a meal!
5. Desk/Workspace
The last area that you can spend some time decluttering is your desk or workspace. These areas are notorious for collecting random paper clutter. I know that I always have unopened mail, old sticky notes, and random pieces of scrap paper on and around my desk. There are always pens everywhere, and the baskets that I hold all my desk supplies get messy and cluttered very quickly.
This is an easy fix, though. Once or twice a week, I will go through my desk, get rid of any old papers or mail, and put all my desk supplies back in their place. I like to do this at the beginning of the week because it lets me start the week off on an organized and positive note!
Paper clutter can actually feel really overwhelming, but I have found that having an organized filing system for important papers has helped to cut down on paper clutter!
So this week, before you start work or school, take a few minutes to go through your desk, your drawers, or cabinets, and get rid of anything that is no longer useful to you! Recycle old papers and get rid of anything that is broken!
Where does everything go after decluttering?
A big hurdle for many people when they are decluttering is not knowing where their decluttered items should go. Do you donate everything? Throw everything away? What can you recycle?
Clothing, coats, and shoes can easily be donated to just about any thrift shop, and you can usually just drop the clothing off. There are also clothing donation bins that you can keep an eye out for and drop clothing there. Kitchen gadgets and tools can often be donated to thrift stores along with clothing.
Bathroom products, especially when used or expired, usually need to just be thrown away. But be mindful of their packaging, and recycle any plastic containers or cardboard boxes that you can!
Paper clutter can be easily recycled, and old desk supplies can sometimes be recycled too!
Make sure to do your research on what to do with items that you are decluttering!
And remember, you don’t have to be perfect! You don’t have to get rid of everything you own to create a peaceful environment for yourself. What is most important is making sure that the items you have are useful and bringing positivity to your life! Don’t get too caught up in the minimalist aesthetic where you need to have perfectly organized and simple living spaces. You can practice minimalist ideas in any way you choose!
Happy decluttering!!
Decluttering is a great form of self-care! Interested in some more self-care, check out my post HERE!