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Declutter Your Life

Being swamped by excessive clutter seems to be a symptom of modern life which can have a wide-ranging effect on most aspects of our existence, weighing us down and enveloping us in chaos which then detracts from our enjoyment of the simpler things in life.

Here are four good reasons why we should all declutter our lives:

  1. To reduce stress – basically, the more stuff we have, the more energy we need to devote to taking care of it and the more it drains us.
  2. It gives you a fresh start – a chance to evaluate the reasons why we like to have so many possessions or so many rituals in our life. 
  3. It saves you time – unless you are very organised having an excess of stuff means that you will waste hours looking for things that should be ready to hand.
  4. You could save (and possibly make) money – some of the things we hang on to can be costing us money and many of the things we own but never use could be sold to release capital for new and more enlightening experiences.

How can you start to declutter?

  1. The home

Go through your home room by room and make a list of every single surplus thing in that room and then ask yourself three questions:

  1. Do I like it?
  2. Do I need it?
  3. Do I use it?

Everything that you don’t like, need or use should be either thrown away, donated or sold. This should include clothing, books, DVDs and CDs. Unless you can think of a very real and urgent reason to keep the item; get rid of it!

  1. Your computer
  • Get rid of files and programs that you don’t use.
  • Get rid of most or all of the icons on your desktop – they slow down your computer and slow you down when looking for an important icon.
  • You can use a program such as Google Desktop to search for your files when you need them.
  1. Your Desk
  • Everything on top of the desk should have a current purpose.
  • Go through your drawers and file away loose papers.
  • Ditch random items which accumulate for no good reason.
  1. Your paperwork
  • Shred anything more than six years old – even financial information only has to be kept this long.
  • Request digital Bank and Credit Card statements – if you need a hard copy at any point you can print the relevant page.
  • Utilities can be streamlined by setting up direct debit payments.
  1. Cancel subscriptions
  • Unless you are actually using your gym membership, cancel it – a regular long walk in the countryside will keep you fit and healthy, give you breathing space, time to think and help to reduce stress.
  • Magazine subscriptions are a nightmare – we subscribe and six months down the line find there is no time to read the magazine so they pile up waiting for that gap in our schedule which never comes. Cancel the subscriptions and donate the magazines to someone else who will put them to better use.
  1. Free up your time

This is a tough one, particularly for those who have their own business, an all-consuming high powered job, a family or all three!   So hands up all those who:

  • Are guilty of spending too long at work and never get home before the kids are in bed.
  • End up eating take-away more often than they would care to admit because there is insufficient time to shop or cook.
  • Don’t have enough time to spend with friends and family, even at weekends.
  • End up cancelling long-standing arrangements at the last minute, frequently.

Why not consider hiring someone to help take the strain:

At Work – a well-qualified PA would take some of the strain from you by organising your work life; by booking your appointments, arranging travel, dealing with all your daily correspondence and much, much more.

At Home – a housekeeper, cook or gardener could be exactly the right person to organise your home, your laundry, your shopping or just your garden. Taking this simple step could liberate you so that you can begin to enjoy your free time and family life.

De-cluttering is as much a state of mind as it is a physical way to get rid of a surplus. Once you have embraced the theory, that less is more, you will free up mind-space that you didn’t realise you were previously missing. You will think more clearly, work more efficiently and relax more deeply knowing that you are organised in every aspect of life!

October 13, 2017

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