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Be kind to yourself and declutter at your own pace

Writer's picture: Organised and ProudOrganised and Proud

Some people stress so much about their homes.  They constantly clean, tidy up and ensure their home is in order.    This can leave people feeling exhausted and worried about the smallest of things.

The same stress about their home can also cause that feeling of being overwhelmed.  This can result in tasks not being tackled as they don’t seem achievable.  Again, this can lead to exhaustion and feelings of being defeated.

Changing the way the mind thinks, takes time.  It is rare for someone to read something and change their approach in life straightaway.     I therefore want to give you a few tips to start to change the way you manage your home life.

1.       Think about how you want to feel in your home.   Do you want to be content in your surroundings or are you someone who wants other to be impressed?  Recognise the reason you want to change your home is the first step to change.

2.       Break your home in to two areas.  Areas that all the family use or visitors would see and areas they would not see.      Visualise how you would like or need each area to look. For example:  You may want the lounge, kitchen, and bathroom to be neat and tidy, where shelves etc look aesthetically pleasing. For bedrooms, you may either want the same neat look or these rooms may not cause as much stress.  I have a teenager, and I recognise that it is not for me to say how the room should look. Once you have thought about each room, you can now devise a plan for which rooms you want to work on.

3.       My third tip is, please be kind to yourself.  This is not the Stacey Solomon – Sort your Life out programme where everything looks perfect at the end.  This is real life.   As an adult, how often do you praise yourself for what you have done.  Whether it’s remembering to say ‘well done’ or setting up a reward for yourself, please remember to be kind to yourself.    One idea is to have a jar, where each time you complete a set time you put e.g. £1 in a jar.  That money is then for you to treat yourself.

4.       Know that decluttering can be an emotional journey.  This will make a difference to the approach you want to take.  For example – if it’s an emotional journey, it may be better to set shorter times to work through small spaces.  If you are ready to let things go, then you could set aside whole days.

5.       Always work on one small area at a time.  For example, one kitchen cupboard rather than the whole kitchen.  Initially think about what you are ready to let go.  E.g. what can you give to charities, is there a school or a group that would benefit from your items? 

6.       Once you have decluttered your whole room, you will see the space you have.  It is this time to think about whether the items are in the right place.  You may wish to move furniture around or it could be that your kitchen cupboards need to be rearranged.

7.       Spend time and enjoy arranging the area as you want to it to be, asking yourself does it meet my practical needs and do I find it aesthetically pleasing.   Take a picture of the area.  If possible, print it off and stick it somewhere you can see it.  This is your reminder of how good the room can look.

8.       Again, I’m going to say – be kind to yourself.  If the room gets untidy, that’s ok.  You are not living in a hotel or TV programme, this is real life so this is going to happen.  My suggestion is to set yourself a time when you will revisit this area.  By scheduling a task you are more likely to do it.

9.       Give yourself a break after finishing each room and remember to reward yourself.  You deserve to feel proud of what you have achieved.

10.  Schedule when you are going to approach the next room and take the same approach.

Scheduling is the key way to change an approach.  If you know you will get bored after half an hour, make your sessions, quick bursts.  If you like to take your time, set yourself a few hours.    I always say that ‘Tomorrow never comes’ and therefore scheduling ensures you have a set time to carry this out. 

 

Remember, it’s important to be patient with yourself and recognize that change takes time. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small, and keep moving forward at your own pace. 😊

Is there a specific area of your home or a particular challenge you’re facing that you’d like more advice on?

 

 

 

 

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