Are your possessions overwhelming your living spaces and causing you stress? Keep clutter at bay with these three resolutions:
Tackle one pile a day: Clearing out clutter is often emotional, so don’t overwhelm yourself by taking on too much at once. Instead, resolve to tackle just one manageable pile or surface a day.
Stop clutter in its tracks: New clutter can have a habit of accumulating each time you enter your home. To mitigate this, put away everything that you’re holding when you walk in the door. Hang your coat and put your shoes on the shoe rack. Store essentials like your keys, phone and wallet in a drop zone so you always know where they are. Recycle unwanted junk mail and deal with important correspondence right away. Put groceries and other items away immediately.
Put a pause on shopping: Consider taking on a “no-buy challenge.” This means not purchasing anything beyond the essentials (groceries, toiletries, etc.) for a specific duration of time, such as a month or longer. While the purpose of these challenges is usually to save money or reduce one’s environmental footprint, it can also be beneficial for those with a clutter problem. Getting a handle on your current possessions can help you make more mindful decisions about what new items you bring into your home.
