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AS PUBLISHED IN YOUR HOME & GARDEN
AS PUBLISHED IN YOUR HOME & GARDEN
My six best decluttering tips
My six best decluttering tips
My six best decluttering tips
This feature originally appeared in Your Home & Garden magazine as part of their Resident Experts series. Here, I share my six best tips for creating a calmer, more organised home.
This feature originally appeared in Your Home & Garden magazine as part of their Resident Experts series. Here, I share my six best tips for creating a calmer, more organised home.
Founder of Organise My Life
01
01
Let go of things
Let go of things
Let go of things
You don’t have to organise what you don’t have. The less you own, the less you have to manage. Most homes don’t need better storage, they need less volume. When you reduce what’s in your space, everything feels calmer straight away.
You don’t have to organise what you don’t have. The less you own, the less you have to manage. Most homes don’t need better storage, they need less volume. When you reduce what’s in your space, everything feels calmer straight away.
02
02
Decluttering and organising is a three-step process
Decluttering and organising is a three-step process
Decluttering and organising is a three-step process
First, edit what you don’t need. Then group what’s left into clear categories. Finally, contain those categories in a way that makes sense for your space. Loose piles almost always look messy, but beautiful baskets with clear labels create instant calm. The goal is for everything in your home to have a designated spot. When you always know where something lives, you stop buying duplicates.
First, edit what you don’t need. Then group what’s left into clear categories. Finally, contain those categories in a way that makes sense for your space. Loose piles almost always look messy, but beautiful baskets with clear labels create instant calm. The goal is for everything in your home to have a designated spot. When you always know where something lives, you stop buying duplicates.
03
03
Make donating easy
Make donating easy
Make donating easy
Keep an open box somewhere accessible and drop things in as soon as you realise you don’t need them. When it’s full, take it straight to the op shop and start again. Small, consistent edits are far more powerful than one big annual clear-out.
Keep an open box somewhere accessible and drop things in as soon as you realise you don’t need them. When it’s full, take it straight to the op shop and start again. Small, consistent edits are far more powerful than one big annual clear-out.
04
04
With sentimental items, try to separate the memory from the object
With sentimental items, try to separate the memory from the object
With sentimental items, try to separate the memory from the object
You’re usually attached to what it represents, not the thing itself. If something feels special, take a photo and create a beautiful album. You keep the memory without the item taking up valuable space.
You’re usually attached to what it represents, not the thing itself. If something feels special, take a photo and create a beautiful album. You keep the memory without the item taking up valuable space.
05
05
If it feels overwhelming, start small
If it feels overwhelming, start small
If it feels overwhelming, start small
One drawer. One basket. One shelf. Decluttering an entire home doesn’t have to happen in a weekend. Every time you finish even a small area, you will feel accomplished.
One drawer. One basket. One shelf. Decluttering an entire home doesn’t have to happen in a weekend. Every time you finish even a small area, you will feel accomplished.
06
06
Ask for help if you feel stuck
Ask for help if you feel stuck
Ask for help if you feel stuck
A friend or professional who isn’t emotionally attached to your belongings can see things more clearly. They can gently ask the questions you might avoid and help you make decisions faster. Sometimes, a calm, objective person beside you is the difference between simply moving things around and actually reducing what you own.
A friend or professional who isn’t emotionally attached to your belongings can see things more clearly. They can gently ask the questions you might avoid and help you make decisions faster. Sometimes, a calm, objective person beside you is the difference between simply moving things around and actually reducing what you own.
“
“
You don’t need
more space.
You need less
stuff
You don’t need
more space.
You need less
stuff
You don’t need more space. You need less stuff
You don’t need
more space.
You need less
stuff
”
”
The Journal
That’s organised.
No inbox clutter. Just an occasional reminder to let go of what you no longer need, and a little organising inspiration.
The Journal
That’s organised.
No inbox clutter. Just an occasional reminder to let go of what you no longer need, and a little organising inspiration.
The Journal
That’s organised.
No inbox clutter. Just an occasional reminder to let go of what you no longer need, and a little organising inspiration.