New Year, New Home—How to Declutter Your Home for Happiness

If even for the brief moment when the clock strikes twelve, the new year feels like a new place. It’s strange when we get caught up in the excitement of a new year, to quite literally come home to remnants of the past. Decluttering your home for the new year is the perfect way to keep the momentum in making changes to usher in another trip around the sun and all it will bring.

Not to mention, decluttering your home, in general, is a way to destress your life. The house should always feel like a safe place to retreat free of outside stressors.

Purge Practically

Getting rid of things in the home is a challenge for a few reasons. If you aren’t the kind to get emotionally attached or sentimental about objects, perhaps you’re paranoid that you’ll need it as soon as you throw it away. Maybe you’re caught somewhere in the middle.

Removing items from your home can be entirely practical by asking yourself one question: If I saw this in a store today, would I feel strongly about purchasing it? Of course, there are exceptions like family heirlooms, but generally, if the answer is no—you can probably toss it.

Say Thank You and Let Go

If you happen to be the type who has trouble letting go for one reason or another, take another approach. Disposing of an item doesn’t have to mean trashing it. Donate to a friend or organization, or sell the items you no longer need.

Be grateful for the times that is has served you or your family, and release it to the next person.

Strategic Placement

Decluttering the home is more than simply getting rid of things. Making sure to keep organized efficiently is necessary for not only removing clutter but keeping it at bay from returning.

• Be concrete about your storage. Set hard limits on where things are stored in your home, and don’t budge. Make sure everything has space. If it doesn’t, find a way to effectively add more storage without more clutter like an additional furniture piece, closet room, or even a storage unit. If your things start to overflow, it might be time to revisit what’s necessary.
• Leave walkways, restrooms, and common spaces clear. If it’s not inside of a closet or designated unit for storage, do your best to avoid storing anything in these areas of the home even temporarily.
• Quality over quantity. Try your best not to slip into the mentality that you must hold onto items that you never use because you “might need them one day.” Instead, make a habit of regularly re-assessing items and the current quality they add to your life.

Decluttering your home for happier living is possible with just a little bit of extra thought, ability to let go, and going with what the new year brings, instead of what you don’t need to keep.