Decluttering and Organisation

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Day 27 of #Write28Days Challenge

Decluttering and organisation go hand-in-hand. You need to declutter then organise since clutter can’t be organised. So, when I set up this series, I wanted to start with decluttering before talking about setting up systems and routines because decluttering paves the way for easier organisation.

Clutter Cannot Be Organised

Decluttering and Organisation

But…I know that decluttering is often a huge project for most of us, and just thinking of it makes some of us hyperventilate.

So I figured that if I wrote about decluttering first, many would think that managing homeschooling and housework is a lost cause.

And so, I wrote about routines and systems first since it is actually possible to stay on top of homeschooling and housework without decluttering.

BUT if your goal is a less stressful and calmer environment for both your homeschool and home, you will eventually have to declutter so that you don’t waste time organising clutter.

However, in my humble opinion, priority should still be getting your routines and systems in order.

Why Declutter

Clutter, visual and mental cause stress, whether you acknowledge or not. Studies have shown this to be true, that clutter can give one anxiety. Mental clutter can be dealt with with a brain dump but visual clutter needs you to physically throw out things.

Remember, clutter cannot be organised.

Practically, moving clutter from place to place while dusting and vacuuming is a real waste of energy. It is faster and easier to dust an uncluttered desk than a cluttered one. And it is the same with vacuuming and mopping. It is also easier to cook in an uncluttered kitchen than a messy one.

Decluttering Page

I have consolidated all my Decluttering Tips and Ideas on one page so do check it out if you need some help on how to declutter. And no, I do not do it the Marie Kindo way.

Declutter Bit by Bit

If you are easily overwhelmed, I’d like to recommend the slow and steady method. Try the 27 Fling Boogie from the Flylady if you need help on bit-by-bit decluttering.

Pick a corner, a drawer or a messy table and start there. Set a timer for 15 minutes and just declutter for 15 minutes a day or three times a day. Repeat until it is done. Then pick another corner or drawer. I prefer this method to Marie Kondo’s.

Another way to declutter is to do it in reverse as shared by Laura of I Heart Planners where “It shifts the focus from what you want to get rid of to what you want to keep.”

Declutter Once and For All

Personally like to declutter a few rooms a day instead of a little here and a little there because I like to see obvious progress. And more importantly, I am very sensitive to dust. Decluttering a few rooms (living room + dining room, kitchen, all bedrooms, etc) means I suffer less. I do not like to prolong my agony of having a running nose and unbearable itching. While I can’t declutter the entire house in a day, I am usually done in two to three days.

Declutter Regularly

As homeschoolers, we tend to accumulate a lot of books and craft materials. You need to find a place to keep them. Remember my organising tip from Day 7?

A place for everything and everything in its place.

If we do not designate a place for it, it will become clutter and contribute to your stress level. Clutter, like dust, builds up without us noticing it until it is very obvious.

You can choose to declutter once every quarter or once every year. But do it regularly and your house will be a haven of bliss not clutter.

Tomorrow, I will wrap up everything. See you!

Related Links

Decluttering Tips and Ideas
Do the Brain Dump and Get Out of the Overwhelmed Zone
It’s Science: Clutter Can Give You Anxiety

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