with decluttering you are essentially clearing away things you no longer need in your life, and inviting in new and wonderful moments
I have written many times about decluttering and how it can help free your mind, as well as free space up in your home. Here are some of my previous posts if you would like to take a look;
Recently I was chatting with a friend about some renovations she is undertaking in her home and she asked me what I thought about her converting her large roof space into a storage area. My gut reaction was to say ‘no, don’t do it.” Why? I mean we all need stage space right? Yes we do, but how much is too much storage space? Some may say there is never enough, but I disagree. One thing I have found out after several homes and several moves was the more space I had to store, the more I brought and the more meaningless items I hung on to!”
I am a sentimental person and it is easy for me to accumulate way too much ‘stuff’! My last home was one I designed and so I made sure that there was loads of storage. It was brilliant, when I first moved in my cupboards were organised and I had so much left over room in my oversized kitchen. By the time we moved out my cupboards were bursting with things I hardly used. Now maybe you have better self control, but I am sure many of you know what I mean.
Sometimes in life we need to stop and evaluate what really matters to us, what things are making us truly happy, and what things are we hanging on to that are just gathering dust for no reason. Ask yourself am I happy in this space? What things are making me feel crowded and uncomfortable? What things are bringing me joy?
As we grow, we change, new people enter our lives, we start new careers or become parents, we travel, we gather new experiences and insights, change is a beautiful thing if you allow yourself to embrace it. It is OK to let go of the past and embrace new beginnings.
Here is an exert from a post I wrote about downsizing and decorating when I was getting ready to move. In this paragraph I was referring to how I felt about having to declutter before moving,
“I would describe it as a cleansing experience. It felt good to clear cupboards of clutter, and donate things that although were still perfectly good, we just no longer had room for in our lives. It almost makes you embarrassed when you look at the amount of things we purchase that are unnecessary, even clothes, I mean how many outfits do we need, do our kids need? I felt getting rid of the clutter was like a cleaning out of my soul. I grieved over the baby clothes that I would never need again, I held teddy bears that I had kept from my own childhood and said goodbye to them as I boxed them up to donate. I poured through old photo albums and only kept the photographs that really meant the most to me. It was like saying goodbye to the past and allowing room for new adventures and fresh air to flow into our lives. It actually felt amazing”.
Maybe it is time for you to embrace change, to let go of the things that hold you back and clutter up your life and home? What do you think?
Thanks for joining me, love Mackenzie xx
If you are downsizing, moving or just wanting to declutter make sure you check out some of my previous posts that I have mentioned in this post by simply clicking on the highlighted text.
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42 comments
I agree with you. I’m an emotional hoarder and I need to stop doing that. There are so many things at home which I never use and can’t give away either. But I should. Decluttering is really important and is therapeutic as well
it really is great therapy
I am definitely an emotional hoarder too!! My husband goes mad at me as we have boxes and boxes of “stuff” that I cant bear to part with. Decluttering is so therapeutic, it’s an amazing feeling to just be rid of everything, but there are some things that I really cant bear to let go and we will forever have an attic piled up with boxes that nobody will ever look in!! #mg
it is funny how we find it so hard to let go, I think I find that time goes so fast and my children are growing up, sometimes I find it hard to let go of the fact that they aren’t so little any more
This is one area I constantly struggle with – decluttering. You’re right about the fact that the more space you have the more stuff you accumulate. But some storage space is absolutely necessary.
I agree that we need space for some things, like suitcases and sleeping bags and all those Christmas decorations, and then a few things that hold special meaning
Once or twice a year I go through and purge things from all our cabinets and closets. I have had rare instances where I ended up needing or re-buying something I had gotten rid of but more often than not I don’t miss any of the “stuff.” I’m sure if we ever had to move I’d be shocked at just how much we have though.
sounds like a great idea!
In true ‘man’ style, personally I don’t really do this until my wife gives me a good root in the arse!! Decluttering is something she loves doing for all the reasons you have mentioned above and some more. I have to admit though, I did feel pretty good after to the last clear out and when I dropped the clothes down to the local charity shop, it was like I had done my good deed for the day. Box ticked!
so true! I have to give my hubby a kick too lol. But yes it does feel good, the charity thing not the kick
De cluttering is a wonderful experience – it just takes time though! I love sorting out the kids’ rooms and love it even better when they do it themselves! There’s nothing more therapeutic than taking sack fulls of old bits and bobs to the charity shop. Alison x #mg
I am with you there
I absolutely agree with you. If I ever had something important to do, like start a new job or write an important piece of work I could only focus if I did a big declutter and tidy up. Tidy home, Tidy mind! #MarvMondays
agreed!
We are hopefully moving soon, and the one thing I am really looking forward to is having a good clear out and getting rid of things we haven’t used or worn in years! I am a terrible hoarder. #marvmondays
it is so easy to get too much stuff! Good luck with the move xx
I’m with you! I have moved house 24 times now and so I was always pretty ruthless at getting rid of things, but I’ve been in the same home now for 5 years which is a record and having had the two kids I’ve become so sentimentally attached to every scrap of scribbled on paper and tatty old babygrow, we’re in danger of outgrowing our (perfectly adequately sized) house already! There is something cathatic about a good clear out though! Thanks for hosting #mg x
gosh 24 times, I find it so exhausting moving, but I love getting rid of stuff!
Thank you so much for featuring me! I love this link up and your blog, so it really means a lot. Decluttering is something I need to get much better at. I’m so sentimental and hold onto things when I really should just get rid of them. I need to take a leaf out of your book. Thanks for hosting x
Oh my pleasure Emma, thank you for being part of this linky it means so much to me xx
I’m a huge lover of decluttering, but I think it comes more from having a very nomadic childhood where we weren’t allowed to keep hold of things because of always moving around. Now as an adult I find it cathartic to try and relinquish posessions from time to time X #mg
Yes it feels good to declutter, it is cleansing
Living in a two bed flat with two kids means we have to be pretty ruthless. We have loads of storage space though but I frequently go through all the cupboards and do a throw out or charity run. I think I do this every 3 months with the kids’ clothes. We have a garage downstairs in the block mainly for storing the kids’ prams (and now scooters, hidden birthday presents etc) but there’s so much stuff down there from our ‘former’ life i’love getting rid of the day we move. Golf clubs? Which parents have time to go out and play a round together? Not us! I also sometimes leave things down there ‘just in case’ but finally chuck them when I realise out of sight out of mind. You’re so right that we don’t need much really. I’d love to purge our flat of all the kid friendly sofa coverups and bright foam floor tiles though… someone really needs to invent beautiful yet practical playmats! Xx
yes true that would be helpful wouldn’t it!
I should but I live in a house filled with other people who NEEEEED whatever it is I was about to rehome. #AnythingGoes
oh yes that is the hardest
We used to have a small two bed flat packed with stuff then we quit it all and hot the road in our small camper van. We got rid of so much stuff but also kept way too much in storage . To be honest we also still have stuff we don’t use even now we have virtually nothing! #mg
it is amazing isn’t it what we keep
I totally de-cluttered when we moved house over two years ago, but I need to do it again because I can feel it creeping back ha! A timely reminder, thanks Mac and for hosting. I will pop back to comment after work xx
oh that’s true Lisa it creeps back in
I need to declutter! We are moving house in a few months and I really want to have a huge clear out, problem is I am terrible at getting rid of things. x #AnythingGoes
good luck! It is worth it!
I often de clutter and on the whole I enjoy it, there is probably still far too much in my loft but I try and keep on top of it as much as possible. I love my stuff though!! So its hard:)
Mainy
#mg
it is hard, but worth it
Could not declutter till the kids moved out!
sentimental kids make the job much harder!
I’m pretty good with not hoarding stuff – I hate clutter! I do still need more storage though for my ridiculously large book collection. Books are something I can never throw away; it just feels wrong!
Thanks for linking up to #AnythingGoes 🙂
Debbie
yes guilty there I keep books too
I think I’m constantly decluttering here. #mg
oh you are good!
I love the sentiment of your post and couldnt agree more. I am one of those people that feels overwhelmed if their environment is too busy, cluttered or messy. That phrase – a tidy house, a tidy mind sums it up perfectly so actually I love decluttering. I dont do it enough though, but have plans to over the next few weeks 🙂 Great post, thanks for sharing it on #MarvMondays. Emily
yes me too, today home tidy mind is so me
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