Your home is full of things you may not need, but are you working on cleaning up?
Perhaps it’s because you can’t decide whether to bring back the memories or what to do with them – so you’ve become a cluttered house.
“After all, clutter is a decision that hasn’t been made yet,” says psychotherapist and interior designer Helensanderson (helensanderson.com), author of Clutter’s Secret Life. “It seems easier than deciding where to put things and how to handle them, so things end up in piles, containers, and drawers.
“You say’I’ll handle it later’, and probably mean that. But weeks, months, and even years later, it’s still there and hasn’t been processed. It’s buried under a myriad of followers. “
Sanderson says there are many reasons why people avoid making decisions like this. “It’s often because of the meaning and emotion we put on our property,” she says. “Tramatic memories, or unrealized creative projects, are agitated when opening those drawers. Sometimes it’s just a busy life or you’ve never learned how to create order at home. It’s a combination of these. “
So, on the surface, clutter is about how we treat physical things, but it’s often rooted in deep psychological things, Sanderson explains.
“No matter how organized, if you don’t identify and address the underlying problem, the confusion will inevitably come back,” she says. She says, “When you really understand what’s under the clutter and hear the story it tells, you can make a deeper shift and create space for a clutter-free home.
But she doesn’t suggest that people get everything done. “I certainly don’t encourage the people I work with to live in an untouched, ascetic white space,” says Sanderson. “I think there is a balance between chaos and order in our home, which gives us room to think while keeping what we love, help, or simply not want. You will have a lot of space. You will lose. “
10 steps for Sanderson to clean up your home
1. A cluttered house is like a grassy garden
Sanderson says it’s convenient to think of a weedy house as a grassy garden that needs to be weeded, planted, and maintained. “The weeding process is about making all undecided decisions about maintenance, letting go, action, etc. Planting is about planning, arranging things in a beautiful and harmonious way, and keeping you up. It means organizing your choices optimally. And maintaining is to build new habits with compassionate self-discipline, so your home will make it easier for you to live. I will support you. “
She says it’s important to organize in this order. “Forming a habit in a chaotic chaos makes the bar too high. Start by letting go and keep it clear when it’s clear.”
2. Create a clear vision
Imagine exactly what your home would look like. Write it down or create an exciting image vision board from magazines and Pinterest. Then write down why you want to create space and order – is it for a creative project? Want to invite people around you more comfortably?
3. Understand the reality
Look inside all the cupboards, drawers and boxes to get an accurate and clear picture of what you are dealing with. “This doesn’t discourage you, but it allows you to effectively plan your tidy project. It’s also between the vision of where you are and where you want to be. Helps motivate you by creating tension in your project. “
4. Divide the tidying up into manageable stages
This can be room by room, cupboard, or drawer, Sanderson says. “It’s a good idea to master one room before moving to another. Even small successes are important to experience.”
5. Identify obstacles and how to overcome them
Are you a big procrastination and can be distracting or very emotional? Do you find it difficult to make time to work? Do you get crazy when you see the chaos and struggle to make a decision?
“Once you understand the barriers you may face, develop a clear strategy to help you overcome them,” Sanderson advises.
6. Set aside time and get rid of distractions
Sanderson points out that if someone really liked tidying, they would have done it long ago. “Once you get started, accept that other things are likely to be much more attractive than organizing those mountains,” she suggests. “So hang up your phone, cancel other plans, and even send out your family and pets unless they help.” She takes a break from work to fully focus on the project. Even recommend
7. Put some clutter in front of you
Start the timer, collect your luggage and stack it in front of you. Therefore, take out a pile of books and documents, or empty the drawer and put it in a box. “The most effective thing is to get someone to help,” says Sanderson. “Their job is just to bring things to you, and your job is just to make decisions. Instead of getting things done, just ask: is this going to stay or going?”
8. Storage, recycling, bins, donations, actions
Decide one by one whether to recycle, sell, store, bin, act, or donate each item. These are the main decisions that need to be made, says Sanderson. go.
She also proposes to create an “unknown” mountain that will help maintain momentum. “Then, if you’re not sure, instead of breaking the decision flow, you can put the item there and come back later.” However, if the “don’t know” pile grows too large. It is important to review your goals and vision and refocus.
9. Complete
Allocate time at the end of the session to get the job done properly. This means recycling and getting trash out quickly and putting all your donations in your car. This will not compromise your hard work by confirming your decision. .. “Completion here is the key,” Sanderson emphasizes.
10. Plant and maintain
The next step is the planting step, where everything is efficiently sorted and tidied up, and then the achievements are maintained. “The cluttered life that has accumulated can represent the life of the past,” says Sanderson. “By creating space in your home, you are creating room for new experiences and opportunities.”
Clutter’s Secret Life: Clarifications, Lets Go, and Advances by Helen Sanderson are published by Piatox. Currently available.
