3 Ways To Declutter In Short Bursts
Full permission here to be done with the old way of thinking that decluttering has to be done in large chunks of time AND that you have to clear your schedule to get anything done. Nope! Not here! The reality is that most of us only have short bursts of time to declutter. Not to mention the limited mental bandwidth to declutter, am I right? Decluttering in small bursts keeps you focused and fresh while you’re making decisions and more motivated to complete small tasks because it’s a practical, doable time commitment.
Here’s 3 ideas for how you can declutter in short bursts of time, regardless of your schedule and season of life.
1. Grab a bag or a box.
To get started on this one, all you need to do is grab a bag, a cardboard box or large container that you can donate. Bonus points of the bag, box or container is reusable or recyclable! Next you’re going to fill it up with items you no longer need in your home. You can approach this in a few different ways. One option is to put your box in a central location in the house, walk your home and bring things back to the box when you find something you’d like to donate (yes, grab those items you need to recycle or toss as well). Another idea is to declutter for a short chunks of time or over the course of a day or week.
Another approach is to bring the bag or box into a certain room and focus all your efforts in that one area. When it is full, you’re done OR when you’re done in that space, you can move to another area to keep filling it up. Remember to remove your donation items from your home ASAP and send them on to their next life with love and care. See more donation resources here.
To provide proof that this idea works you can check out how I used this same idea with my kids and a cardboard box.
2. Set a timer.
Seems obvious but a timer can be your best friend when it comes to decluttering in your home. Here’s one of my favorite time timers I love to use in our home for all sorts of tasks, or simply set your timer on your phone. When you don’t feel like you have much time to devote to decluttering, this will help light a quick fire under you. I’m talking 10, 20 or 30 minutes on your timer to declutter. That’s it!
Where should you declutter during these short bursts? So glad you asked! Here’s a few ideas. You can pick a certain zone to focus on that’s been a chaos/clutter magnet in your home. You can focus on one room. You can also choose one category of items to declutter throughout your home (like books, toys, hanging clothing, etc.). Keep blinders on to everything else and just focus on that one category, room or zone you’ve committed to and see what you can do in whatever short burst of time you can give.
If you’re just getting your feet wet with decluttering, you might want to check out these past blog posts for more (and see more declutter resources at the end of this post). Decluttering In Your Home: How To Get It Done 3 Thing That Sabbotage Your Declutter Efforts
3. Declutter at random.
Sounds like a loose concept but hear me out. I want you to get into the mindset that decluttering can happen at any time, on any day. It does not have to be scheduled to be impactful. When you encounter something that needs to go, immediately remove it and take it to your donations holding area. Set up a donation box, bag or zone anywhere in your home that makes the most sense for you. We have a spot in our garage that once it fills up, we make a donation drop off or schedule a pick with one of our favorite charities in our area. It can also be as simple as a bag on a hook on the back of a closet door or a box on the floor in the garage or a utility closet. Get creative. Anything goes.
So those clothes your kids have outgrown, those extra 3 spatulas you never touch and make you dig for the things you actually use in the kitchen drawer, the unopened toiletries you bought on impulse and haven’t touch in over a year, the items in your closet you avoid daily, the toys your kids no longer play…send them on to your donation zone the same day you make the realization, or better yet, the moment you know it needs to go. No timer needed, no plan on the calendar necessary!
Commit to making decluttering a part of your daily mindset to chip away at reclaiming your spaces in small bursts. I promise you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can create more space and breathing room in your home.
Now tell us below, which of these 3 short burst decluttering ideas are you going to try first? And please circle back and let us know how it goes!
How can I help? Want more support decluttering in your home?
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