With the holidays wrapped up and a brand new year upon us, January is a wonderful time to refresh both our minds and our homes. One pesky factor that blocks progress in mental clarity and overall wellbeing is clutter. Countless studies have shown that clutter causes stress, anxiety, mental fatigue, and even sleep disruption. Obviously, no one wants to try to start fresh with those kinds of setbacks, which leads to one clear solution: the clutter must go! But where do we start? For some of us, decluttering can be a major undertaking. In this article, we provide some guidelines to help you strategically tackle clutter one room at a time.
Begin in the bedroom.
The bedroom is often a catch-all for stuff that we don’t know what to do with, which quickly becomes clutter. Furthermore, the bedroom should be a place to relax and unwind, making it possibly the most important room in the house to de-clutter. Start with clearing surfaces such as nightstands and dressers. Then, create piles for things you want to keep, trash, or donate. Seeing each area clutter-free will likely motivate you to keep going.
Next, conquer the kitchen.
The kitchen is another room where clutter tends to accumulate. We suggest starting with a relatively clean kitchen as it’s difficult to de-clutter when you have a sink full of dirty dishes. Then, organize your pots, pans, and other cookware, deciding what you want to keep or remove.
Bonus Tip: De-clutter those drawers! Kitchen drawers often become “junk drawers”, making them impractical and frustrating. Take the time to tidy them up and you will be thankful that you did.
Next, conquer the kitchen.
The kitchen is another room where clutter tends to accumulate. We suggest starting with a relatively clean kitchen as it’s difficult to de-clutter when you have a sink full of dirty dishes. Then, organize your pots, pans, and other cookware, deciding what you want to keep or remove.
Bonus Tip: De-clutter those drawers! Kitchen drawers often become “junk drawers”, making them impractical and frustrating. Take the time to tidy them up and you will be thankful that you did.
Then, organize your office space.
If your desk is littered with mail, paper, pens, and other office supplies, it's time to get organized. Ensure that important documents are filed away neatly and that anything obsolete gets discarded.
Bonus Tip: Computer clut ter, such as excessive e-mails and outdated files, can also make us feel overwhelmed and disorganized. If it seems daunting to clear this kind of clutter in one sitting, make it a goal to spend 15 minutes per day deleting unwanted files or e-mails.
If your desk is littered with mail, paper, pens, and other office supplies, it's time to get organized. Ensure that important documents are filed away neatly and that anything obsolete gets discarded.
Bonus Tip: Computer clut ter, such as excessive e-mails and outdated files, can also make us feel overwhelmed and disorganized. If it seems daunting to clear this kind of clutter in one sitting, make it a goal to spend 15 minutes per day deleting unwanted files or e-mails.
Time to tidy the living room!
Since the living room serves as the gathering place for family and guests, you want it to be as clutter-free as possible. Many times, items make their way into this room that don’t belong there, such as clothing, dishes, mail, and etcetera. Start with putting away items that have a designated place, and then sort through any items that are not being used or are adding to the mess.
Now, clean up the kids’ rooms and spare rooms.
As kids grow, their toys and clothes should be sorted through on a regular basis. If items are outgrown or no longer used, consider donating them or selling them online i f they are in good condition.
Bonus Tip: Get the kids involved! Kids love sorting, so they will likely enjoy the process.
~THE TAKEAWAY~
As we begin a new year, we want to give ourselves the best opportunity to succeed and thrive in our goals and daily lives. This means defending against hindrances such as stress and mental exhaustion, which consequently also means getting rid of the clutter in our homes. However, sometimes the idea of de-cluttering can be just as overwhelming as the clutter itself. In this article, we have provided a gameplan to get started and hopefully build the momentum to finish the task. Tackling one room at a time in a strategic fashion is a great way to get it done. Remember, it’s not a race, so take your time and reward yourself for any progress you make. Wishing you blessings, prosperity, and mental clarity in 2026!
