Written by Hannah Dillenger, Karina Guy, Liz Heaney, Robin Hill and Brady McLamb- Simple Living FYS
The National Association of Professional Organizers reports that we spend one year of our lives looking for lost items. What if we had just enough stuff that we could know where everything is? Frank Lloyd Wright was aware of the storage places and number of belongings one really needs in their home. He created furniture with multiple functions, so things wouldn’t get in the way. With fewer things, there’s more time to enjoy the beauty of nature, and that’s exactly how Wright wanted to live.
“Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities,” he once said.
There are many ways to get rid of clutter. Clutter can be defined as a collection of things lying around in an untidy mess. It can start from being messy with no organizational system or from being a perfectionist and not having enough time to clean out the entire closet rather than just cleaning out a few things at a time.
Clutter can simply include having too large of a house or not having the right storage methods. A crumpled ball of cords in a drawer or box also fits the definition. While getting rid of clutter may seem like a daunting task, it can be made simple. If you want to declutter your house, dorm room, car or other areas of life, there are some easy ways to get started:
1. When reducing clutter, focus on one small area at a time.
2. Determine where your clutter is; is it a huge pile of clothes in the bottom of your closet or a stack of papers on your desk?
3. Get rid of the items you barely use, like old clothes, accessories like hand bags and jewelry and anything you haven’t touched in a year.
4. Have a spot for your everyday items—not the middle of your desk or the floor. (Take advantage of the space under your bed and use command hooks to hang things up.)
5. Buy items with multiple functions and furniture with storage.
6. Donate your things to Frugal Finds.
7. Take one day out of every week to clean up. That way things won’t get cluttered as easily.
8. Set deadlines, and once you complete them, treat yourself to a night out with some friends.
Once you’ve been able to declutter your space, you’ll be able to experience the benefits of it. Not only will your space be decluttered, but you can reduce anxiety and stress, reduce tension and maybe even find some lost treasure!
Let us know if you try any of these ideas or share your own tips by using #EtownSimplified on Twitter. To learn more about how people are decluttering, stay tuned for a future edition of “Etown Simplified” in the Etownian and read about good ways to simplify your food choices.
