AARP Smart Guide: Declutter Your Home
Professional organizers share 27 simple strategies for decluttering without despairing
Most of us find it rewarding to tidy up. It can feel freeing and even energizing to see organized shelves, clutter-free closets and clean counter tops. But sometimes, despite our best efforts, it’s easy to fill those spaces up again. And with more of us staying home because of the pandemic, we suddenly find ourselves face-to-face with all of our stuff.
So what can we do to make decluttering stick? And how can we say no to the urge to accumulate unnecessary stuff? Organizing experts say it’s all in how you approach the task. Think of decluttering like going on a diet with things. A diet takes time and effort. So does achieving a decluttered lifestyle. Like losing those first five pounds, it can feel relatively easy to pare down the T-shirt drawer or clear out no-longer-used holiday decor, but if you don’t change how you think about possessions, those piles — like weight — can build back up.
WHERE TO BEGIN
SHIFT YOUR MINDSET
NOW YOU'RE GETTING THE HANG OF IT
WHEN YOU NEED A LITTLE HELP ...
TACKLE THE TOUGH DECISIONS
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
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