I have learned that nothing affects the energy of a home more than clutter especially if you are thinking of selling your home. I have lived with pack rats and have come to the conclusion that hoarding is unhealthy and can lead to disorganization. I have seen flustered friends spend hours looking for things, large and small under piles of paper and in beautifully organized boxes that fill up attics and basements. Just to clarify – organization does not mean decluttered.

Clutter-free space can free up space (making your home look large),  help you focus and become more organized. If you are a hoarder how can you unclutter your home?

Just do it: Yes, Maybe or No piles

I believe that creating a uncluttered space is one of those things that require you to make snap decisions. If you spend time trying to decide if a coat will be back in season, or a piece of furniture will ever work in a particular spot; you will never get rid of anything. Create yes, no or maybe piles and just decide what stays and what goes. The maybe pile will have everything you are on the fence about.  Think of the Yes pile as your donation to charity, to people who could actually use what you are keeping.

Create 2 boxes for each room

Go through each room and create 2 boxes that you label “must go” and “maybe”.  Take everything in the Yes pile and put it into the must go box. These things are definitely going to Goodwill or some other charity organization.

Now the second time around go through the rooms and choose things you are not sure you want to give away and put them in the maybe box. These are things you are not going to give away but will keep for a month, if at any point during that month you need anything from the maybe box, you can take it out and it stays; everything else that is still in the box after a month has to go because clearly you do not need it.

Work on one room at a time

Rome was not built in a day and it probably took you years to accumulate the stuff you have in your house so accept that decluttering is a process. Give yourself a day or a week to unclutter one room or closet at a time.

Choose a day and make a ritual

I am a big believer in acknowledging the emotional process of transitioning and changing. Getting rid of possessions in our space can change the energy in our homes and this can sometimes be scary. Giving away certain things that were once dear to us also forces us to see that we are growing and evolving and this can be very emotional. I usually bless the things I give away and invite friends over to help me with the process so it doesn’t feel so sad.

Focus on the house you want to have

Goals are a motivating factor for everyone. If you know what kind of house and life you want to have you are more likely to be motivated to declutter. I suggest creating goals and even having a vision board of the space you want to create and how you want to feel in that space. The goals can be as simple as: I want to feel the breeze around my house in summer (clutter can make this hard).

Take 2 days before finalizing a purchase

If you are cluttering your home because you are an impulse shopper you have to find ways to stop and think. One trick I use is to force myself to take 2 days before making a purchase, if 2 days later I cannot stop thinking about what I wanted to buy, then I will go out and get it but if I cannot see how it fits into my space and it does not keep me awake at night, I choose to let it go.

For more tips on decluttering see: http://zenhabits.net/zen-mind-how-to-declutter/

I would love to hear any other suggestions on decluttering in the comment section below

Image by Flickr user  Denise Cross