Starting 2022 Clutter-Free
Starting the year clutter free gives you the opportunity to live your best life throughout the year. During the last year, you may have purchased too much stuff, paper may have become overwhelming, and you may have lost track of our planner. There are many feelings that come into play with too much clutter, and you may have experienced sadness, hopelessness or being weighed down. Decluttering is the best path to empower you and help you accomplish your daily tasks and your yearlong goals. To move forward, it’s best to release what is not loved, used, or needed. If you are bogged down with paper, learn what you need to keep and shred the rest.
Decluttering tips for ADHD Brains
- Keep a bag or box in the laundry room to drop in clothes are are ready to donate.
- Set a 10 minute reset time to get started on organizing. Bring items together that have been distributed throughout your home together. Decide on what to keep once things are together.
- Gather your family and send them off to their rooms with a plastic bag to let go of what they don’t need or love.
- Write an appointment with yourself in your planner to declutter.
- Work during your high energy time to declutter. If you are a night owl, bag up and place in the car right away that evening.
Donation tips for ADHD Brains
- Give to a charity you feel most connected to and make this your “why” to let go.
- Give to a person who helps you regularly, like your cleaning person or lawn person.
- Ask a friend to partner with you and together donate together on a Saturday.
- Use the donation boxes located in parking lots.
Get started with these “no decisions items” to let go.
- Extra paper and plastic bags
- Magazines, catalogs and newspapers
- Out of date and unused electronics
- Additional linens and bedding
Learn more here from my professional organizing colleagues!
Great tips as always. I love the idea of putting a clothing donation bin in the laundry room. I also “weed out” items for simple textile recycling in there (e.g. men’s underwear with holes LOL!).
Giving kids a bag to go collect items they no longer want is a good idea. You could even incent with a reward if you, as a family, can collect a certain number of items.
Textile recycling is a great resource too! There are so many ways to donate and give away, rather than trash.
Decluttering is great to do all year round, but there’s something about making a big push (or letting go) at the beginning of the year, that can do wonders. Physical clutter becomes mind clutter. The more stuff that is in our space, the harder it can be to think or take action.
As you suggested, it doesn’t have to happen all at once. Using small time increments is an excellent strategy as is getting the family onboard to help.
I’m about to do some paper declutter and am excited to shred, shred, shred!!!
Yes, we here at our home are always decluttering. Our January push seems very natural to take extra steps, including paper work.