Clean Out the Old With These Decluttering Tips
Nearly everyone begins a new year with good intentions, but few resolutions last beyond February, or March … if you’re super disciplined. If one of your goals for the new year is to declutter your apartment, the good news is that there’s no end date and it’s a process you can work on year-round. The first step is to break the task into manageable pieces and the second part of the strategy — and this is where self-discipline comes in — is to stay on top of the project, so you don’t gradually relapse into disorganization.
It’s no secret that being surrounded by clutter can negatively impact your mental and emotional health. Never being able to locate anything, running out of space, and dodging stuff as you try to move around your apartment is exhausting and a waste of time. There is a plethora of resources online that reflect the latest trends in decluttering, but instead of following mathematical rules, try good old “KISS” (Keep It Simple, Stupid), which is a design principle that was coined by the U.S. Navy in 1960. While well-worn, this adage still stands today.
Decluttering falls into three categories: keep, donate/sell, and discard. Then go room to room, take inventory of the contents, and assign them to one of the three categories. Nobody says you have to complete all of this in one weekend; work on it when you feel like it, but once you get going and see progress, you’ll be motivated to continue.
Things to Keep
If this is a kitchen gadget, item of clothing, book, etc., that you plan to use, wear, read, or otherwise consume regularly, then keep it. Don’t hang on to that jar of garam masala from 2020 that you have used once but maybe will use again if you make a curry someday. Or, that pair of skinny jeans that are too small, but will fit when you lose 10 pounds. (Besides, they are out of style right now.) The remaining tennis ball from the can you opened in Summer 2021, probably doesn’t bounce any longer. You get the picture. If you haven’t eaten, worn, read, listened to, or otherwise used it for more than a year, it can probably go.
Things to Donate or Sell
This is where the most satisfying aspect of decluttering comes into play. If it’s clothes, food, or another item that is in good condition or not expired, donate it. Inspect shoes and clothing items for scuffs, tears, and stains, and if they are salvageable, donate them. Food banks will welcome nonperishable items that are not past their “sell-by” date. Gently used electronics can be donated to thrift shops where they will be sold with the proceeds going to a good cause. If that expensive Peloton is serving as a second closet rod in your bedroom, then swallow hard and sell it. Use the money to join a gym.
Things to Throw Away
This is the pile for items that are expired, stained, torn, broken, etc. You aren’t going to DIY fix the broken Keurig and it’s probably cheaper in the long run to just replace it. You don’t need the “lucky” gym shirt from your college days that you wore when scoring the three-pointer that won the pick-up basketball game. You get the picture.
Explore a Vision Community Apartment
At Vision Communities, we want you to make your apartment your own space and decluttering is a great way to keep your space clean and stress-free. Our property management teams work hard to create living spaces that are headache-free and places you’ll want to come home to. We have floor plans that provide your personal space and spacious common areas for you to hang out with your roommate and friends. Our spacious, studio, 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, and 3 bedroom apartment layouts provide cozy space. Check out our luxurious apartment floorplans in one of our communities and enjoy life at the VC.
Schedule a tour today and see why Vision Communities is a great place to live.