Should you have a decluttering marathon?

Why I don’t participate in these marathons

How often do you declutter and organise your home? Do you hold a decluttering marathon once a year? Maybe more often? One of my friends did hers recently. She was completely flabbergasted when I said “I don’t do these marathons!” Here’s why:

Have regular decluttering sessions

I regularly declutter parts of my home. This may be the fridge, the pantry or all the paper on my desk. For me, it’s a lot easier to sort out the home as we go along. There are no big panic moments like when the in-laws are announcing they’ve booked a flight for this weekend. Trying to get the house look presentable in a mad frantic often means hiding the clutter – not addressing the issue.

By decluttering on a regular basis, it becomes more manageable and less daunting. Think about a messy house that you’re trying to control. It’s overwhelming, exhausting and frightening. You may postpone taking the first step because of this. Tackling one area at a time reduces the anxiety and lets you see improvements immediately.

Regular decluttering sessions which can be anything from 5 minutes (speed decluttering) to 2 hours (e.g. a wardrobe) are easier to conduct than a decluttering marathon. The regular sessions become a habit which in return become part of your organised life.

Stop before you shop

Ask yourself why you are going shopping? Is it a need or a want?

If it’s for a need and you need go on a grocery shopping marathon, check what you have available at home. Know what’s in your pantry lets you save money (you’re no buying duplicates). It also reduces your waste (you’re eating what’s still fresh) and saves you space (think of the overfilled cupboards).

When strolling around a mall without a need to buy anything, I often ask myself: Why am I buying it? Do I actually need this? Would it make me feel better? While many of us engage in retail therapy, research has shown that it doesn’t work. Shopping only provides us with a short-term feeling of happiness. After all, how many body lotions can you have to feel good?

Asking yourself these questions changes your approach to shopping. It no longer is a past time where, just because you can afford it, you need to also purchase it. If you want to transform your views on shopping, try a no spending month. I’ve done them in the past and while challenging at first (it feels weird no spending anything), it was liberating. It was a fabulous way to save money, spend more quality time with friends and family and use up what was at home, gaining new space.

One big decluttering marathon

Declutter after shopping

Another reason why you don’t need to do a decluttering marathon is when you declutter immediately after making a purchase.

A former colleague introduced me to the one in, one out principle. When you come home with a new shirt, you donate, sell or throw out another piece. This can be another top or another piece of clothing in general. This way, your home does not overfill with new purchases.

What areas do you go through and declutter on a regular basis? Or do you prefer to do decluttering marathons?

Until next time,
Agni

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