Welcome Wisdom

Declutter: 10 items at a time

by Carole Henderson, ECM RN Care Manager

You’ve probably heard it said that “LESS IS MORE.” What exactly does that mean? More space? More time? More money? Or perhaps More peace of mind.

If you’re like me, you probably live in a place surrounded by “stuff”. Now grant it, some “stuff” is useful, or adds a touch of color and personality – but how much of that “stuff” has been sitting in the same spot, unused, and collecting dust for years?

What would you get back if some of it was gone?

It’s not unusual to feel overwhelmed by the idea of getting rid of things.  It takes time and energy to clean out drawers, cupboards and closets.  Who wants to spend their weekend working on that kind of project, right?!

What if, instead of tackling the task all at once, you change it up and do an easy, systematic approach to free yourself of clutter helping you feel more organized – like life just got simpler.

Here’s my suggestion:

• Start with one room or theme, e.g. “kitchen” or “books”
• Make a vow: “Each day I will touch 10 items” (based on your theme)
• With each item decide if it will
  • be saved
  • thrown away
  • donated
• When you have completed the theme, pick a new one and start over.

Try to place saved like items in the same area of the house.  Trash your throw away items immediately and drop donations off regularly so they don’t find their way back into the house.

Make this simple practice a regular part of your life and I assure you that you will find meaning to “LESS IS MORE”.