Tag: #declutterpro

(Got Clutter?)

It’s fact:  Clutter is bad for your mind, and bad for your wallet.  It’s also bad for your health!  If your living space is messy and cluttered you are living with other housemates!  YES!  Other housemates, besides your family and pets.  A cluttered house is a haven for allergens that flourish indoors.  And if you have indoor allergies, chances are that house dust and it’s components may be a contributory culprit.  By decluttering and cleaning up your living space you will eliminate, if not minimize the presence of indoor allergens.  Decluttering helps you and your loved ones breathe easier.  And that’s GOOD NEWS!

Indoor allergens can be dust allergens, mold allergens and indoor pollen.  Dust mites, cockroaches, and pet dander tend to be the biggest offenders of house dust.  Mold allergens can be visible and invisible, and is a fungus that produces spores that float in the air like pollen.  Ornamental plants and fresh cut flower can be harboring indoor pollen, but most it’s blowing in from the outdoors through open doors and windows, or brought in on clothing or pets.

Silk plants and flowers are often overlooked, too.  These types of plants do not require regular watering care and can be often be unseen for the accumulation of dust.  If you decide to keep this type of decoration in your home, it will require cleaning and dusting.  To remove the dust you will need to wipe down the leaves.  If there are too many leaves you will need to take it outside using an industrial blower or purchase an air spray can and apply.  If there is an extreme amount of dust accumulated you may want to use a hose to rinse down the objects before bringing back into your home.

Dust in the house is a big issue for those with allergies.  The less trinkets around the house makes the dusting easier, and you will be more efficient and organized.  Everyone can breathe easier too!

The benefits of decluttering are far reaching past the aesthetic improvement and the mental health benefits.  A physically healthy self will emerge, like a rebirth, as you continue to live in your newly DeCluttered environment.  2014-07-21 11.28.38

20160801_111942    When is the last time you were asked that question?  How often have you really thought about “support” and the meaning, let alone who is your support.  By definition, support is a network of people who provide an individual with practical and/or medical support.  A good support system helps you achieve a better experience especially if you are going through a transition or a tough time.  A good support system lets you know you are not alone, and helps you to cope in a time of change.

“Getting your ducks in a row” is funny, but can lead the way for effective planning.  There are people all around who can help.  You may have answered this question easily, but the second part of the question is who is qualified to help.  It is important to consider the people in your life and the role they play, and what specific types of support they can offer, including practical planning and preparation.

Changes are part of life and can be challenging and require a lot of “knowing what to do” and the next steps for well-informed and right actions.  When things get difficult toughing it alone can be an uphill battle full of stress and quick decisions that result in answers you may have to live with vs. the time to make wiser and more informed decisions through the help, wisdom, experience and insight of others.  There are a lot of things to consider when dealing with the changes of life that need to be considered.  The guidance for these considerations will help with making the process easier and more pleasurable for you and your family.  This is where your support team can help.

With the right help and support your next life change can be done thoughtfully and easily.  Identifying and establishing a list of reliable people is the first step to building a support system that helps make informed decisions, guides, keeps you safe with ease.

So, who can you turn to?

How many do you really need? (Amasses your space, deflates your wallet)

Which comes first, your shopping habits that contribute to the clutter surrounding your home, or does the clutter exist because you have become immune to your daily surroundings and suffer from the blindness of your possessions?  Either way, both topics are worthy of mentioning and provide understanding when conquering the baggage of clutter.  Just like the long-standing examination “which came first, the chicken or the egg”, (truly, this question has been resolved), there is an answer to the origination of clutter in your home.

Clutter confuses your mind, amasses your physical space, and it attacks your wallet.  Tackling the clutter in your home requires acknowledgement of the monumental mess, by laying your eyes on the mountains of stuff piled so high you cannot see what you have including any broken or damaged items.  When you are taking the necessary steps to conquer the clutter in your space, you will most likely feel the pinch and question “where does this stuff come from?”  It can come from your shopping habits.

“Clutter blindness” can take a toll on your emotions resulting in impulse buys and over spending, or buying items that you already own.  You may be shopping to fill a void in your life.  Or perhaps the how, what, and who you buy for no longer meets your immediate needs.  If your life has evolved out of a family of 6 to just you and your spouse, your shopping habits need to evolve, too.  You will no longer need the value packs of 24 count of paper towels, or the 48 count of toilet paper, or the “buy 1 get 1 for free”, unless you make a conscious commitment to replace these value packs when you actually need them, and not keep them for accumulation.  If your family has reduced in size, has the size of your space changed?  Can your space accommodate these purchases?  The bottom line is what you buy and how you buy affects your living space.

The habit of shopping is not fun when it becomes a whirlwind of frenetic behavior and extreme indulgence.  It brings to you the accumulation of stuff that occupies valuable space in your home, and depletion of your wallet.  That’s a hefty price tag!  The money spent on impulse items would be better spent on a vacation that would enrich your well-being, or save for planning towards future life events.

 

As you live in the regular routine of your daily life you can become immune to your surroundings and the accumulation of stuff.  As the piles build you lose sight of things you already own.  Then add the layer of conditioning to buy more than you actually need, you are on the path to accumulation and clutter.  As you declutter and before you buy another thing, identify and list all that you own.  This may sound daunting, but will help with reprogramming your shopping habits.

Making a list of what you own shows you what you have, any duplicates, what you don’t need to buy again, and impulsive purchases.  Based on this list prepare to discard of the extras.  This is the first step of support for changing your mindset, and preparing you for the next time you need to shop.  Implementing a budget will help deter you from unnecessary spending.  Shopping with a prepared list of items to purchase that are absolutely necessary will aid in preventing a shopping frenzy.

When you identify your shopping habits and how they contribute to the chaos and clutter in your life, you can make better decisions that will support a more organized home and life.