Downsizing and decluttering is a worthwhile effort. Having clutter and disorganized spaces has been correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress, according to Psychology Today, and countless people have shared stories of how tossing unwanted items became truly life-changing. (Just look at the success of shows such as Tidying Up and The Home Edit).
But as worthy a task as it is, decluttering isn't necessarily easy to do. One person struggling to downsize sought advice from the subreddit r/minimalism.
"I've kind of hit a wall with decluttering," they shared. "I feel like there's still a lot of stuff that has no home, and an overall sense that there's too much stuff that is unused and not valuable to us."
Fortunately, commenters chimed in with suggestions.
"My tip to you is looking at stuff you got with new eyes," one person advised. "Pull out 10 random items and put them on a counter somewhere then stare at them several times a day. If you get a sense of annoyance with them- they gotta go. Because if they sit inside a drawer you'll forget of their existence."
Another person shared the technique of reverse decluttering, which they discovered via the blog The Simplicity Habit. As the blog post describes it, "reverse decluttering will help you focus on what's important to KEEP, not what you 'should' or 'have to' get rid of. … Focus on the ESSENTIALS to efficiently trim the EXCESS."
The same commenter also mentioned room quieting, per The Nester. This approach involves removing all knickknacks and decor from a room to "quiet" it, letting it "breathe" for several days, and then only bringing back "things that you really love, miss and need."
The OP also explained that one challenge was decluttering the items they occasionally need. "Kitchen for example…there's a lot of stuff that I would like to get rid of, but probably will need to use a couple times a year," they wrote.
In response to this, one person pointed out, "Can you just borrow those items at that time?"
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Every few months 💪 Indeed, community lending and gifting groups such as Buy Nothing are particularly excellent resources for those items that are only needed once or twice a year. Rather than spending money and using space for a new appliance, buying it secondhand or borrowing it from a neighbor is better for your wallet and for your space — as well as your sanity.
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