Slow and Gentle Decluttering |05 Review and catch up
A ten minute quick declutter and five questions to ask yourself.
Owning less is better than organising more ― Joshua Becker
Hello my friend
Decluttering is very close to my heart and has played a key part in how I have simplified my life so far. As you are here with me right now I am guessing that this is something that you want to explore too?
You are so very welcome to come along on this wonderfully freeing journey of clearing our space, both our physical and mental space.
We will explore the process of decluttering and organising our homes together at a nice calming and slow, but structured pace. No point rushing through this, right?
If you are new here, welcome, you can find part one here. If you are not already subscribed please consider doing so to receive future publications straight to your in-box.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional declutter. Everything I share with you today is based on my own knowledge and experience from decluttering my own home to enable me to live a more simplified and slower life. My only wish is to pass on some of my experience to help you on your own decluttering journey.
Today we’re taking a momentary pause in our decluttering journey to review what we’ve achieved so far and renew our motivation to continue.
What has gone well on your decluttering journey up to this point? What areas felt easier and which did you struggle with, if any?
Do you need to spend extra time in any of the areas we have covered so far? Take this opportunity to work on any rooms or spaces that you feel needs some extra focus.
If you journal, take some time to write about your experiences so far. What went well, where do you feel needs more time, how is your space feeling?
Remember what I said before, we are not in a race, go at a pace that suits you and your lifestyle. If you only have 15 minutes a day to spare that’s absolutely okay. It’s amazing how much you can accomplish in just 15 minutes.
This series will remain free forever for you to refer back to whenever you need.
Slow and Gentle Decluttering
Before we return to our decluttering I would like us to take some time out to recharge and revisit our why and what motivated us to begin the journey.
What were your reasons for embarking on the journey of decluttering to begin with. Are your reasons still the same? Has anything changed, shifted?
Five questions that will help you stay on track. Feel free to journal about them.
How much time do I spend on cleaning and organising my belongings?
How would my daily routine improve if I had fewer possessions?
Am I holding onto things out of a fear or a need for security, or perhaps guilt because of a gift that you don’t like?
Do my belongings represent the life I want to live right now and in the future, or do they keep my stuck in the past?
Do my belongings reflect my values and what I consider the most important in life?
Let us remind ourselves of some of the benefits of living a decluttered life.
Reduced stress and anxiety. Clutter creates a visual chaos which can cause overwhelm and contribute to increased stress levels.. A decluttered space promotes a sense of calm and control. A sense of freedom.
Improved focus and concentration. A clutter free space allows our brain to focus on the task at hand rather than being distracted by visual noise. This can lead to increased productivity and better decision making.
Enhanced mood and energy. The act of decluttering can be satisfying and rewarding which can lead to a sense of accomplishment and in turn an increased energy level. A tidy home can boost your mood and make you feel more positive.
Reduced allergens. Clutter tends to accumulate dust and pet hair etc. Removing the clutter reduces these, potentially improving respiratory health and allergy symptoms.
Easier Cleaning. It will come as no surprise that a less cluttered home is easier to clean, requiring less time and effort to maintain.
Time Savings. A decluttered home means less time spent searching for misplaced items and tidying up, leading to more free time. A decluttered home fosters better organisation, every item has a home.
Financial savings. Decluttering can reveal items that you no longer need or use which you can then sell or donate, potentially generating extra income. Decluttering can also improve your spending habits. You will no longer need to re-purchase an item that you already have that you can’t find. Also as you see space opening up in your home you will start to appreciate the new space and feel less likely to want to fill it up with other stuff.
I hope this short newsletter revives your motivation for continuing with your decluttering journey. Please let me know in the comments how you are getting on. We’ll be back on August 31st for the next instalment where we will work on our living rooms.
And to wrap up …
A ten minute quick declutter.
Here are eight quick declutter wins to do before bedtime that will make a big difference to your mornings.
Return shoes, coats and clothes to their hooks, wardrobe, cupboards. Or place them in the linen basket or washing machine. It’s easy to let these just hang around, draped over a chair or on the floordrobe. Use this opportunity to tidy your clothes.
Recycle any junk mail and old newspapers/magazines you have lying around. I’ll be honest, junk-mail doesn’t even make it past our front door now. I have a sign over the letterbox that says “no junk mail” which alleviates most of it, however the small amount that does get delivered goes straight into the recycle bin before I step inside the house. We don’t buy any newspapers or magazines now. If you enjoy a magazine consider going digital.
Photo by Miguel A Amutio on Unsplash Put kitchen items away. Once you’ve washed your pots, dry and put them away straight away instead of leaving them to dry on the drainer - if, like me, you don’t have a dishwasher that is.
Put media out of site. Things like remote controls and game controllers, put them in a drawer or box when their use is fulfilled for the day.
Clear all bathroom surfaces. Bathrooms are generally easy to keep clutter free, so put everything back where it belongs as soon as you’ve finished using it. Keeping the bathroom surfaces clear will make them easier to keep clean.
Process shop receipts. If you need to keep them put them in a dedicated folder in an office drawer, otherwise shred them if you can.
Put toys and games away. If you have a dedicated toy and games area, put everything back where it belongs. Get your kids into the practice of tidying up after themselves if they are old enough.
File paperwork. Paperwork is best kept on top of by handling it on the day it comes into the home. Try and go paperless if you can, but if not, file or shred it as soon as it has been dealt with.
To begin with, the above eight tasks may take a little longer than ten minutes but stick with it. As you resume control over these areas your mornings will look so much better.
We were never meant to live life accumulating stuff. We were meant to live simply enjoying the experiences of life, the people of life, and the journey of life - not the things of life. ― Joshua Becker
Thank you for coming along with me on this decluttering journey.
I am here to help if you have any questions about this process. Please ask in the comments or send me a private message.
If there are any specific decluttering topics that you would like me to cover please let me know.
In this series I will be publishing a newsletter on the last Sunday of each month where we will work room by room. In keeping with the very nature of why we are here, we will be working slowly through this process, so there will be no pressure to complete the tasks in a hurry. Next newsletter will be published on August 31st.
If you feel that the pace at which we are working is too much in your busy schedule you can go at a pace that suits you. These publications will remain in the archive permanently for you to refer back to at any time and you will also find them here at Slow and Gentle Decluttering
You can read about my own decluttering journey here –
If you are just joining us today you can read parts one to four here -
Until next time.
Debbie xx
