De-cluttering is one of my favourite things to do and talk about. I find so much value in de-cluttering things from my life, both physical items, mental clutter and digital clutter too. For some people, de-cluttering and throwing things out comes fairly easy to them – like me. But for others, not so much.
That’s not to say that everyone needs to live a minimal life with ZERO clutter. That’s just not feasible and also ignores the fact that everyone is different with different interests. Not all clutter is bad – that’s a VITAL thing to remember. So whilst some might thrive in minimal environments with very little possessions, others won’t.
However, there is a time and a place for a de-clutter.
The start of a new season perhaps. Moving house. Making room for a baby or moving in with your partner and lots more. We’re all going to need to de-clutter our space and possessions at some point in our lives. It might just require a bin-bag or two or if you’re moving house, you might need to think about hard rubbish removals, skips and more options for removing your clutter. You can also check out this guide for furniture removal for tips.
There are lots of helpful blog posts and guides out there to aid you in removing clutter from you life.
These blog posts I’ve written previously will provide you with some super practical tips and help when it comes to de-cluttering:
- 28 Things To De-Clutter Before the End of the Year
- A Simple Guide To De-Cluttering
- How To De-Clutter Your House: Room By Room Checklist
- 5 Neglected Areas You Shouldn’t Ignore When De-Cluttering
But in todays post, we’re digging a little bit deeper. This post will help you de-clutter and throw out those items that you find particularly difficult to part with by giving you some VALID reasons as to why you probably do want to de-clutter that particular item.
It’s very easy to keep something jut because it’s nice or just because someone bought it for you. But if you’re in need of a real de-clutter, you should definitely look at the mental and emotional impact that that clutter has on you. Because more often than not, there’s a specific reason why we’re keeping certain things.
So here are 7 valid reasons to remove clutter from your life:
If it’s making you disorganized
If an area of clutter in your home (or your office) is making you disorganized then it 100% needs removing. There’s no point in impacting your productivity just because you don’t want to throw away a couple of notebooks or deal with a pile of unwanted items.
If it’s having a negative impact on your mental health
Similarly to above, think about the impact it’s having on your mental health. When my space starts getting too cluttered, my mental health takes a dip. I find my mind cluttered, as well as my space. So if you’re feeling like that with regards to a particular room in your house, take a step back and see what needs de-cluttering.
If it’s broken
Pretty simple one. If it’s broken and can’t be fixed, get rid of it. I find de-cluttering things that are broken is often the easiest place to start as it’s a pretty steadfast reason to throw something out and it sets your de-clutter off to a good start!
If it doesn’t fit
If you want to adopt a more minimal approach to fashion, then this one is definitely for you. When your shoes don’t fit, you change your shoes to fit your feet. You don’t change your feet to fit your shoes. So why should clothing be any different? If something is too small, de-clutter it. You could give it to a friend, a charity or re-purpose it into something else.
If it’s something you’ve been saving for “just in case”… for 6 years
We all have those items. Those things we keep in a drawer “just in case” we might need it or use it. Those things often stay in those drawers for months – if not years. And if you haven’t thought about something in more than 6 months then that’s a valid enough reason to throw it out.
If it’s a gift that you don’t actually like
We often hold onto things for sentimental reasons. Gifts in particular because they’re from a specific person or because we’d feel bad for getting rid of them. Just think of the amount of gifts you’ve given over the years that people no longer own. Don’t take it personally and don’t feel bad if a previous gift isn’t for you anymore.
If you know it could be of better use to someone else
And finally, if it’s something you don’t reallyyyyy use but you know would be of amazing use to someone else then that’s a great reason to de-clutter it, in my opinion. Whether that’s clothing that you could give to a charity shop or items that a friend needs or perhaps even stuff for humanitarian aid.
I hope these tips will help you the next time you come to de-clutter your space. De-cluttering can really help you feel like you have your life together; mentally and physically. It can free up a lot of physical and mental space so it’s always worth dedicating some time to every now and again.