Are you a hoarder? The kind of person whose home is filled with clutter and debris that you can never bring yourself to throw away? Do you keep everything that comes into your home simply because you never know when you might need it someday?
If this sounds like you, then your hoarding tendencies might be having a larger impact on your life than you imagine. Not only is your clutter taking up valuable space in your home that could be put to better use, but living in messy conditions can actually create feelings of stress and anxiety. Simply put, all that mess could be damaging your mental health.
Although there is nothing wrong with retaining keepsakes and mementos from the past, you should make an effort to downsize your belongings. There’s no need to keep old knick knacks you never use or outdated forms of technology like CDs and DVDs. These items could be of much more use to someone else if you donate them to charity or give them to a loved one.
Changing your hoarding ways can be difficult. It’s not so easy to change your way of life and break habits you’ve had for years. But by following these four tips you can make a start on decluttering your home and making more space for you and your family.
Adopt good habits
The first step is identifying your hoarding tendencies and then trying to break them. And this all begins with adopting a few good habits. For example, be strict about what you bring into your home. Whatever passes through a hoarder’s front door is likely to stay there for good, so save yourself the clutter and keep out any unnecessary items. Ask yourself: will this add value to my life? If the answer is not a clear yes, then it stays out.
Work systematically
Decluttering your home can seem like a monumental task in the beginning, so try not to focus on the big picture right away. Start small, and work through your home systematically. Go through one room at a time, and this way you can motivate yourself with a minor victory each time you tick off an area of your house. Go through each room and divide items into categories: things to throw away, things to donate, things to fix or replace, and things to keep. Nothing should sit outside of these categories.
Be smart with storage
Once you have got rid of the extraneous items, you can continue to maximise your space by being smart with storage. Rather than keeping your belongings out in the open, there are many discreet solutions that allow you to keep items out of sight and reach. Underfloor storage, adjustable racking, and high shelving units are just a few examples.
Ask for help
When you are a hoarder, it can be difficult to see the wood for the trees. You may have good intentions when it comes to decluttering your home, but it’s still going to be hard to break those bad habits. You may need to call in a friend or family member to help you make those difficult decisions. If you’re on the fence about whether or not to throw something out, they will give you the push you need to stick to your guns.