Buried in Stuff? Here’s How to Dig Yourself Out
Let’s play a little game!
Look around and see how quickly you can find five items you:
a) rarely or never use,
b) actually forgot you owned, or
c) are constantly moving around because they have no official “home.”
If you’re anything like us, that took about 47 seconds… even if you’re a relatively tidy person.
The truth is, most of us own a lot of stuff—300,000 items on average. And we’ve built bigger and bigger homes to accommodate it all. Houses are 1,000 square feet larger than they were 50 years ago.
Apparently, our homes still aren’t big enough, though. You’ve noticed how many self-storage places are popping up, haven’t you? They’re everywhere. In fact, there are more storage facilities in the U.S. than there are McDonald’s, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, Pizza Huts, and Wendy’s restaurants combined.
Uhh… that’s a lot of musty-smelling cardboard.
So What?
Why does any of that matter? As long as we’re not gripped by a devastating hoarding obsession, it’s no big deal… right?
As a matter of fact, it is a big deal. According to research, clutter has serious consequences:
Feelings of displacement or alienation
Lower self control
Unhealthier eating
Increased stress
Decreased ability to read others’ emotions
Less efficient thinking… and lots more.
Let’s not just shrug our shoulders and “oh well” at this thing. Stuff is taking over our lives, affecting our mental and physical health, and distracting us from what’s important.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
Your Clutter Just Met Its Match
Clearing out clutter can be hard. Unless you happen to have a magic wand, the process can seem overwhelming.
This is where our friend, Marie Kondo, comes in. Well, she’s not our actual friend, but we’ve read her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and her advice is revolutionary. (If you don’t have a copy of the book, we’ll send you one. Keep reading.)
Kondo is the real deal when it comes to helping people get their sh*t together. Here are four practical tips we’ve learned from her KonMari Method™.
Begin with the end in mind.
We won’t sugarcoat it: A full-home tidying session can be intense. It probably won’t happen in a day. It might spark a disagreement with your partner or kids. If you’re not fully committed, it’ll be easy to quit.
So before you even begin, write down a list of reasons you want to tidy, and the positive changes you’re hoping to see afterward. When the going gets tough, look at your list—perhaps while enjoying a nice glass of merlot—and remind yourself why you’re doing this.
Start simple.
The KonMari Method™ suggests organizing by category, and saving “sentimental items” until the end. Why? Because getting rid of touchy-feely things—even if they no longer serve us—is hard.
Of course, you don’t have to get rid of anything you truly cherish. But when you do get to the point of making those decisions, it’ll be easier if you’ve practiced with things you’re not so attached to. (We’re looking at you, cabinet with 33 souvenir mugs.)
Enlist help.
If you live in a home with other people, you’ll definitely need them on board. Find ways for everyone to be involved. Your partner can help you with the decision-making and heavy-lifting. Teenagers can go through their own belongings with guidance from you. Younger children can help to find new “homes” for all the items you choose to keep. Even little-bitties can help out by carrying items to the correct piles for “keep,” “donate,” or “trash.”
Live by yourself? Call on a friend or family member to help you out. This is a big job, and it’ll be way more fun if someone else is around to laugh at old photos when you unearth those high school yearbooks.
Keep an attitude of gratitude.
It might sound cheesy, but being grateful for your belongings—especially those you decide to part with—is essential. By giving a moment of thought and appreciation to each item, you’ll get to do some internal cluttering of your heart and mind.
Thank you, college sweatshirt I’ve been holding onto since 2001 but haven’t worn for 16 years because there’s an unidentifiable stain on the left sleeve. You brought me lots of comfort when I got dumped back in the day. I’m good now. G’bye and thanks again.
Honestly, you’ll find it much easier to get rid of items you once loved if you take a moment to thank them for what they meant to you. And just think: Now you have the chance to pass some things on to someone else who will be grateful to have them.
Want Mari Kondo’s Book? It’s Yours.
We believe so strongly in the power of clearing clutter from your life that we want to send you Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, for free. Yes, for free. For real!
All you have to do is let us know who you are and where we can send it, using the form here:
You Could Always Just Sell the Place
If the thought of tidying your home is just too overwhelming, you could always just sell the whole thing.
OK, OK… you might still have to clean it up first. But you can handle it! We’ll bring pizza!
