Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to declutter?

 

You’ve had a long day, you’ve just got home from work, and as you walk through your front door, you trip over four pairs of shoes you have nowhere to put. You look around, and you see stuff spilling out everywhere, and it’s frustrating as hell. Don’t worry; you’re not the only one. We’re all guilty of it.

Decluttering is one of those mammoth tasks that we all put off; in fact, it sometimes feels like it would be easier to move into a bigger place than sorting through everything, but it doesn’t have to be that way, and it doesn’t have to be an all-consuming task. 

It’s no secret that we build smaller condos. And one of the things we hear frequently is, ‘what am I going to do with all my stuff.’ In response to that, we ask, ‘how much of your stuff do you actually use or need?’

Sometimes the answer is ‘all of it,’ but most of the time, the answer is ‘not that much.’ And that’s when we suggest decluttering and rethinking about whether they could live in a smaller space or not.

Of course, you don’t have to buy a new condo as an excuse to declutter (although it is a good one). You don’t really need a reason, but trust us, you’ll feel so much better for actually doing it. We’ve put together a list of books, blogs and shows to give you the inspiration you need to declutter and get rid of those shoes that keep tripping you up.

 

Shows

 

1) Tidying Up With Marie Kondo – Of course, we were going to include this one. As you probably already know, Marie Kondo is an organizing consultant who has dominated our screens, vocabulary and Instagram feeds for the past few years, and although the whole ‘sparking joy’ thing might seem a bit ridiculous, she has a point. We should only be keeping the things that spark joy because the rest is just holding us back. 

2) Hoarders – If hoarders doesn’t make you want to throw everything away/donate, then we don’t know what will. 

3) Home Declutter Series – Okay, so this a YouTube series we came across recently by YouTuber Belinda Selene. It’s a short series of videos that showcase how Belinda declutters and organizes her home. It’s great if you don’t have the time to watch the hours of Marie Kondo.

 

Blogs

 

1) Reddit >> Declutter – Bear with us on this one. Reddit is a ridiculous place, but it’s chockablock of real people giving real advice just because they want to help. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, sometimes the advice from the professionals can feel out of touch, but on Reddit, it’s real advice for real people.  

2) The Home Edit – For all sorts of home, lifestyle, and decluttering advice, The Home Edit is the one. Their blog posts are a good length with beautiful imagery and step by step guides. 

3) Get Sorted – Kelsey is a professional organizer, business owner, self-care advocate and wellness enthusiast based in Toronto. She believes in a wellness approach to organizing and offers interesting insights into how our mental wellbeing is connected to the stuff around us.

 

Books

 

1) It’s All Too Much Stuff: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff – Written by Peter Walsh from Clean Sweep, this book is filled with real-life examples and advice for people from all walks of life, living in homes of all sizes.

2) The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter – A book about the Swedish decluttering process of clearing out unnecessary belongings sooner rather than later.

3) 10-Minute Declutter: The Stress-Free Habit for Simplifying Your Home – The perfect book for busy people, which is all about getting into the habit of decluttering daily.