Clutter no matter the type will always be around us unless we change our mindset about it and decluttering too. When we change our mindset, it becomes easier to clear the clutter but also not accumulate it again. It becomes easier to maintain a clutter free space and also do maintenance declutters.
Clutter will attract clutter and unless you tackle the problem from the root you will inevitably always have clutter. The root is almost always our mindset. The way we see our stuff and how we treat our space. Our possessions are not us; they are not there to show others our wealth or status. They are in our lives to help us live a better life. To help us be present with our friends and family. They should not make our lives more difficult or complex but make it simpler and easier.
In order to have a clutter free home and keep it that way we need to do a mindset shift. We need a mindset shift to help us see that it is ok to get rid of our stuff. That we don’t really need all of our possessions. That it is easier to clean and maintain a clutter free home. That a clutter free home is better for us, our families and everyone around us. It allows us to be more present and actually live our lives to the fullest.
Now that we understand how our mindset is currently working, let’s see how we can shift it to allow us to declutter and maintain a clutter free home.
Here are a few ways to change your mindset about clutter:
1 – Stuff is just stuff
Our belongings are just stuff. They are in our lives to help us make our lives easier or better or help us achieve the life we want. Don’t confuse our belongings with our memories. Some objects may have memories attached but your memories are with you whether you have that thing or not. You don’t need to hold onto every single item that has memories. It’s ok to let go of it. Your memories will always be with you. My tip here is to hold onto a very minimal number of sentimental items but keep them in a keepsake box.
2 – Just in case is not a good enough reason
When we hold onto things in case we might need it one day, is not really a good idea. Most of the times we hold onto them for when we need it, but what actually happens is we don’t use it. When we actually need it, we don’t remember it or can’t find it and end up not using it or even worse, we buy another one. Just in case usually turns into store and forget! There is no point in storing items just for the sake of storing them. This just becomes clutter.
3 – Clothes should fit us not us fitting into our clothes
Holding onto clothes for when we lose weight to wear them does us more harm than good. Those clothes cause us stress and anxiety because we aren’t wearing them and also not losing weight. Our clothes need to fit our bodies! If they don’t, get rid of them and buy clothes that do fit. If you are like me, it’s hard to find clothes that fit but I still try to buy only what fits. In some cases, I will buy a larger size and get it tailored in rather than getting a smaller size and not fitting properly into it. So, my advice is that you can use a tailer to adjust your clothes to fit.
4 – Money paid on items
This was a hard one for me and took me some time to overcome. The money you have paid for and item has already been spent. By having that item sitting there not in use, will not bring back your money. Also, by using it just because and it’s not making your life better, again it’s not like you’re getting your money’s worth. Getting rid of your items is not like throwing away your money because you did that already when you bought it. We need to be more careful when purchasing stuff.
These four mindset shifts will help you make better decisions when purchasing items but also while decluttering. These key points will also help you maintain a clutter free home and remind you why you are decluttering too.
Your mindset won’t change overnight but if you keep these 4 mindsets shift in mind, they will eventually stick with you. Just as they did with me. Remember; it’s a process and you will eventually get there! Stick with it and you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. Then all you need to do is maintain that beautiful home of yours.
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